The Body at the Beach
by rightersblock
Summary: My idea about how Booth and Brennan could end up together. The title pretty much covers it.
1. Phone Calls and Old Friends

Disclaimer: Let's have a logical moment here-if I owned this show or anything about it, would I be writing a fan fiction on a free site? Come on, now... 

Author's Note: I've never written a fan fiction, Bones or otherwise. Be warned. Having said that, this could be very long, or not, I don't know yet. The only background info I think you need is that for the purpose of this fiction is that Angela and Hodgins are dating.

* * *

Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan was completely submerged in a large body of water, but she was having no trouble breathing. She could feel the water, cool against her skin, but the faded blue sweatpants and the old university tee shirt she wore remained completely dry. She couldn't remember how she got to where she was, or what she was supposed to do now that she was there, but somehow these things seemed trivial and unimportant. As she began to look about absently at her surroundings, a corpse, now a skeleton due to years of decay, floated into her field of vision. The twin sockets in the skull were void of eyes, however Temperance could sense that the form was looking at her. The skeleton's jaw then began to move as it spoke to her in a voice that was neither distinctly male nor distinctly female.

"You forgot to turn off the coffeepot," the specter said. "Angela is going to be mad when the baby starts crying."

Temperance nodded at the corpse. Her brain did not register the lack of coherency in the statements it had just made, or the illogical fact that it was a skeleton which was speaking to her, just as her mind failed to recognize that she was standing, perfectly dry, underwater and breathing without difficulty. Instead, she stared back at the corpse and thought _'what time is it?'_

"10:63," the corpse replied. It did not alarm Temperance that the specter knew her question in spite of her lack of verbalization, just as it did not occur to her that '10:63' is not an actual time. What Temperance did notice was that as soon as the skeleton had made its pronouncement about the time, it vanished.

Temperance resumed idly gazing about, and a moment later her eyes perceived the form of FBI Agent Seeley Booth floating a few feet a way and slightly higher than her in the water. She smiled and gave him a friendly wave. He smiled back, and opened his mouth as if to speak to her. However, instead of a voice, a shrill cry of _'bbbrrrrrriiinnggg!' _shot from his mouth.

_'What?' _Temperance thought as she looked up at him. _'I don't understand.'_

He threw his head back, and his face contorted as if he was laughing. However, instead of the jovial sound of happiness, the sharp sound of _'bbbrrrrrriiinnggg!' _once again emitted from his open mouth. She tried to yell to him, but she found that she did not have a voice. As this realization came to her, Booth began to float further upwards and away. She struggled to follow after him, and slowly she felt herself rising up from under the water…

The shrill sound of the telephone announced itself once again as Temperance woke up. Still not fully aware of the line between her dream and reality, she picked up the phone. "Booth?" she asked in a groggy and confused voice.

There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line. "Yeah, Bones, how did you know it was me?"

"You were underwater," she stated simply, as if this explained everything. And with that she hung up the phone.

Roughly eight seconds later the phone shrieked again, causing Temperance to jump. She grabbed the receiver and mumbled, "Brennan," without opening her eyes.

"Bones, it's me, wake up!" Booth said from his end of the line.

"What time is it?" she asked as her brain began to struggle out of its sleep induced fog.

"3:24," he said. Her newly awakened senses registered the tired timbre of his voice. "Lambert finally cracked. He gave up the location of his hideout. We know he had more victims there, and we need to go down and recover them so we know how many counts of murder to formally charge him with."

"Can't we do it in the morning? You already have him in custody. A few hours won't make a difference."

"Cullen wants the ID's. He wants to charge this guy as quickly as possible, and we can't do that until we know how many counts of murder to charge him with. He wants you to give him a number, and then later on today he wants you to give him names. He also wants Hodgins to go with us and collect some samples so he can start building a timeline for the trial."

"Hodgins won't be happy," she said as she stood up from the bed and straightened her faded blue sweatpants.

"What else is new? I'll pick you up in about a half hour."

Temperance sighed and nodded, only vaguely aware that he couldn't see her do so, before replacing the receiver and stumbling to the bathroom. She undressed and turned on the shower, deeply inhaling the steam infused air and smiling when the hot spray danced on the back of her neck. She bathed quickly before toweling off and dressing in fresh clothes. She blasted her head with a hairdryer for a few minutes before growing bored with the process and pulling the damp mass up into a ponytail. She swiped on an obligatory amount of makeup, mostly to cover the fatigue, and then stepped back into her bedroom to hunt for socks and shoes. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. Booth would be there in roughly five minutes. She grabbed the phone and dialed Hodgins.

"Mmph-lo?" came the voice from the other end of the line.

"Ange, it's me. Can I talk to Hodgins?"

"He's asleep," Angela Montenagro mumbled into the phone. "Why aren't you?"

"Just put him on, Ange, and you can go back to sleep."

That seemed to entice her. Temperance heard her friend wearily say 'Jack' before she heard the hard sound of a telephone connecting with Hodgins' head.

"Ouch! What!" She heard Hodgin's newly awakened voice exclaim. Temperance smiled to herself as she heard the muffled interaction through the phone.

"Tempe's on the phone for you."

"Why? What does she want?"

"How should I know? She called for you not me, and if you don't mind I'm trying to sleep here, so talk quietly."

Temperance heard Hodgins grunt, and then, "yeah?"

"Hodgins, it's Tempe, sorry to call you in the middle of the night."

Hodgins mumbled something that Temperance didn't catch. She assumed that was best.

"Booth just called me, we have to go help with a recovery. Get dressed, we'll come get you in about fifteen or twenty minutes."

"A recovery in the middle of the night?" Hodgins asked, his tone more than a little irritated.

"Sorry. See you in a few," Temperance said.

She heard Hodgins mumble something else, and then she heard Angela saying, "What was that?" before the line clicked off.

Temperance sighed and shuffled to her living room, where she flopped on the couch. Despite the fact that her shower had aided in waking her up, she felt the need to rest her eyes. Booth won't be here for a few minutes, anyway. What harm could it do? Just as she was closing her eyes, however, a loud rap at the door brought her back.

With a stifled groan, she rose and opened the door to a very sleepy looking FBI Agent. He gave her a tired smile, which she returned with a look of weary disdain. Her face brightened, however, when he handed her a hot Styrofoam cup with "Dunkin' Donuts" printed on the side.

"Mmm, thank you," she said, closing her eyes as she took a drink. The hot liquid spilled down her throat and warmed her from the inside out.

Booth nodded and took a drink from his own cup. "Sure," he said once he had swallowed. "Ready to go?"

She nodded numbly as she tossed her keys in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Locking to door behind her, she followed Booth out of the building and to his waiting SUV.

She sunk down into the cushioned seat as Booth climbed into the driver's side. She offered no argument about him driving, opting to take another drink of her coffee instead. She glanced at the cup holder and saw another waiting cup sitting beside a bag containing cream and an assortment of artificial sweeteners. Hodgins. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Did you call Hodgins?" he asked as he pulled onto the road.

"Yeah," she said as she glanced over at him. His clothes looked rumpled and his hair was in disarray. Clearly he had been roused from a perfectly good night's sleep and forced to get ready for this little excursion in a hurry, just as she had. She felt irritated that she had been forced to get up in the middle of the night thanks to a child killer. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, both struggling to wake up as they drove to Hodgins'.

Lambert was a serial killer who the FBI had tracked for roughly four months. His prey were primarily children, though he was implicated in the murders of two adults who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. His crimes were almost unspeakable. So far, he was facing a minimum of six counts of murder in the first degree, not including the new bodies which they were on their way to uncover. The FBI had known he had a secret hideout somewhere, and so they had questioned him until he broke. They knew his hideout was somewhere in D.C., and so now that they had the location they were eager to get an accurate body count. Lambert was scum-when he had been caught almost a week before, the FBI almost declared it a national holiday out of sheer joy.

Temperance and Booth pulled up outside of Hodgins' just as he walked out the door. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was mussed, and the general air about him was one of a man who was very unhappy. His eyes showed that he was very irritated by the fact that he had been dragged out of his warm bed and away from his girlfriend in the middle of the night. He got in the car, offering little more than a cursory grunt. However, when Booth handed him the waiting coffee cup, his mood improved considerably.

"Thanks," he said, taking a long drag. Booth nodded and they continued on their way, each drinking deeply from their cups, each trying to put up their emotional shields to protect themselves from what they knew they were about to see.

* * *

About sixteen hours later, Temperance and her entire team honestly believed they were going to collapse. The recovery had gone well, and an initial count had brought the estimate that roughly four bodies were in and around the small hideout that Lambert had been using. After transporting most of the bodies back to the Jeffersonian, Hodgins and Temperance had organized an FBI recovery team to finish the process and then had called Angela and Zach, letting them know that work was starting early and that they need to get to the lab. Angela and Zach had arrived around 6:30, and the team had been working nonstop on approximating times of death, sorting bones, compositing sketches of faces, and pouring over missing person's reports. The day had shown that Temperance's initial estimate had been wrong-there were at least seven bodies recovered from the hideout. By the time 8:00pm rolled around, all the "squints", as Booth so lovingly called them, were about to drop.

At 9:30, Booth, who had managed to get a few hours off to go home a sleep before returning to a mountain of paperwork and files on the Lambert case, walked into the lab. The sight that greeted him was almost enough to make him laugh. Hodgins was asleep in his chair, his head rested on his folded arms, beside a microscope. Angela was in her office, asleep on her desk beside a pile of unfinished and scrapped sketches, with her head turned at an odd angle that Booth knew would make her neck sore when she woke up. Zach was awake, but barely, as he stared at blankly at an X-ray, obviously not processing the information. He gave Booth a small nod before lowering the X-ray and numbly running his eyes over the bones that lay spread on the table before him. Temperance looked at the bones on the table with him, stopping only to make notes on a report that she was filling out. She spoke as she looked over the bones, recording the information into a small tape recorder which she held. Her voice was hollow with exhaustion. She didn't even register Booth's presence when he walked into the room.

Booth shook his head. It was time to put his squints to bed. They had done enough for one day; they had all the ID's but one, and that could wait for tomorrow. For now they needed rest, and lots of it.

He walked to where Hodgins was sleeping and gently pushed on his shoulder to shake him awake. "Hodgins," he said in a low voice.

Hodgins woke up with a start. "Wh-ah-what? I'm almost done," he said, as he sat up quickly. His voice was laced with sleep.

"C'mon, Hodgins, time to go home," Booth said. "You can work on this tomorrow."

Hodgins rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked, not even bothering to try to disguise the weariness in his voice.

"9:45. C'mon, I'll give you and Angela a ride."

Hodgins nodded and slowly rose from his chair while Booth went into Angela's office and woke her. She had seemed only vaguely aware of who Booth was, but she consented to going home and going to bed. She picked up her purse and followed Booth out of her office just as a very sleepy Hodgins arrived at the door.

"What about Zach and Dr. Brennan?" Hodgins asked as the three exited the building.

"Your place isn't that far from here, I'll come back and get them after I drop you guys off."

The pair nodded when he said this, but Booth was unsure as to whether or not they had actually comprehended his words. They climbed into his SUV, and a short ride later, they had arrived.

"Home sweet home!" Booth called out as a means of rousing the two sleeping forms in his car. They mumbled their thanks before stumbling out and into the building. Booth waited to make sure they got inside without incident, and then swung his SUV back onto the rode. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he saw lights flick out before he had even made it down the street.

Booth arrived back at the lab to find Zach sitting in the floor with his back against the wall. The X-rays that had once been clasped in his hand now strewn about his feet. His head and shoulders were slumped forward, and as Booth approached him, he could hear the young assistant snoring softly. Opting to leave him there for a moment, Booth set out to find Bones. He walked into her office to find her sitting at her desk, her eyes scanning over a report for one of the bodies. She made a small notation on one of the forms and continued to let her eyes roam over the page. Booth knocked softly on the open door so he would not startle her, and smiled when she looked up at him. Her eyes had deep circles under them and seemed almost to be sunken into her head with exhaustion. She gave him the best smile she could manage, despite the fact that she wanted to cry from lack of sleep.

"I'm almost done with this report, sorry its taken so long." She bent her head back over the document and allowed her eyes to resume their previous actions.

Booth could see sleep deprivation etched in her features. He walked over to her and carefully removed the pen from her hand. For a moment he didn't think she even noticed. "Okay, Bones, time to go. I think you've done enough for one day," he said as he placed the pen on her desk.

She looked up at him. "I'm almost finished, I just have a few more things to do and then I can give you your full report. I would have finished it sooner, but we had a lot to do with all the bodies and everything, and if you just give me a few more minutes I can probably finish this tonight."

As Booth looked at her, it was all he could do to keep from laughing. She had been working for eighteen hours straight, and yet she was still apologizing for not getting enough done. "Okay, Bones, here's the deal. I am going to go wake Zach up, and then we are all going to leave. I already took Hodgins and Angela home. We are going to get in my car, and you are going to help me figure out where Zach lives. And then, after that, I am going to take you home and put you in bed where you are going to stay and sleep for at least the next twelve hours. Okay?"

Ordinarily, Temperance would have argued with him for telling her what to do, but the fact of the matter was that she had only slept for about four hours out of the last forty-one, and she didn't have the energy to fight. Instead, she just nodded and stood while he went to get her sleeping assistant. She gathered her bag and was closing her office door when she spotted Booth and a very disoriented looking Zach approaching her.

"Ready to go?" Booth asked.

She nodded and the three left the building.

Thanks in large part to the fact that he kept dozing off in the backseat, it took about forty minutes to figure out where Zach lived. When they finally pulled up in front of the building, it was all Booth could do to keep from sighing in relief. It was almost eleven o'clock, and his own disrupted sleep pattern was beginning to weigh on him. They waited and made sure that Zach got inside without incident before pulling back out onto the road, heading for Temperance's house.

He pulled up in front of the building and looked over at her in his passenger seat. She was dead to the world. He thought about simply waking her up as he had done with the others, but decided against it. She had done to much for him that day, and so instead he fished around in her purse until he found her keys.

'_Am I manly, or what?'_ he thought to himself as he slung her bag over his shoulder. He climbed out of the car and walked around to her side. He opened the door and lifted her into his arms. He tried to do so without waking her, but unfortunately the motion was enough to bring her out of her sleep.

"Booth," she mumbled, her voice heavy with weariness. "I can walk."

He nodded and allowed her to put her feet on the ground. He watched he followed her to her door. Her tiredness made her steps wobbly, as if she were drunk.

When they reached her door he held out the keys he still had in his hand so that she could unlock the door. She didn't think about the need for keys, however, and instead simply put her hand on the knob and twisted. Much to Booth's surprise, the door swung open.

"Bones, I thought you locked your door this morning when we left…"

His voice trailed off as his eyes found a person, nestled in blankets with a book reclining on Bones' couch.

The image apparently surprised Bones as well. However, for her, understanding quickly followed.

"Meg!" Temperance exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot you were coming today!"

The girl under the blanket smiled a waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it," she said. "I'm Meg, by the way," the girl said, looking at Booth.

Booth smiled back at her as Temperance interjected by saying, "Oh, God, where are my manners. Meg, this is Booth, my work partner, Booth this is Meg, an old friend of mine from college."

"Pleasure to meet you," Booth said, flashing a charming grin.

"Great to meet you, too," Meg replied, her smile nearly matching Booth's in wattage. The interaction went almost completely unnoticed by Temperance, who was nearly asleep where she stood. "How did you get in, anyway?" Temperance asked.

Her friend looked at her with a puzzled look on her face. "You told me where to find the key almost a month ago when I told you I was coming, remember?" Meg gave her a quick once over. "Uh, Tempe, you know you look like you could use some sleep."

At this point, Booth jumped in. "Yeah, she could, come on, Bones, time for bed."

After a few minutes of argument, Booth and Meg finally convinced Temperance to go to bed. She mumbled her apologies to her friend as her eyes began to drop closed. Booth took her arm and lead her to her bedroom, where she fell into bed without changing into her pajamas, and fell instantly asleep.

Booth chuckled under his breath and shook his head as he walked out of the room and turned off the light. He walked back into the living room and smile at Meg.

"Out like a light," he said with a smile.

Meg smiled back. "She works to much," she said with a slight shrug.

"Yeah," he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. "She does." There was a beat of silence. "So, you know Bones from college?"

"Bones?" she said with a laugh. "So you're the guy who gave her the nickname she was always complaining about!"

Booth smiled. "Yeah, I'm the guy."

"Hey, can I get you a beer? I bought some to have with dinner when it looked like Tempe forgot I was coming."

"Sure," Booth said with a smile, dropping onto the couch. "That sounds great."

* * *

Here comes the button, you know what to do. 


	2. The Phone Number

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

* * *

Meg returned a few minutes later, two beers in her hands. She handed one to Booth before settling comfortably at the opposite end of the couch.

"So, you know Bones from school. Does that mean you are a scientist, too, or…?"

Meg laughed and shook her head. "Oh no," she said. "Definitely not. No, Tempe and I met in a Chem. 101 class our freshman year of undergrad school. She was my lab partner, which was great for me since I was nearly failing. Not so lucky for her, I guess." They both chuckled at the mental image. "Anyway, Tempe basically pulled me through, and we became good friends. We ended up sharing an apartment from the time we were juniors up until part way through grad school." She paused to take a drink of her beer.

"So, what did you study?" He asked, repeating her actions with his own drink.

"Philosophy."

Booth nearly choked. "How did you and Bones live together? I would have thought philosophy would have driven her crazy."

Laughingly, she replied, "it did. She hated it whenever I would talk about it. She said she didn't understand why I could be so interested in something with no practical implications and no answers. She didn't tend to enjoy the abstract."

"I can imagine."

Meg shrugged. "Maybe that's why we get along so well—because we're so different. I personally can't imagine spending my entire day in a room full of dead bodies."

Booth nodded. "So, what do you do now?"

"I'm a college professor. What else are you going to do with a doctorate in philosophy?" She smiled. "Spring semester just ended, so Tempe and I figured it was a good time to get together again. Although, judging by the looks of her tonight, it seems we may have been wrong."

"Nah, she just had a long day. Mostly my fault, I guess. She's pretty much done with the case I had her working on, though, so maybe things will slow down a little for her." Booth swallowed the last of his beer and rose from the couch. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to head home and get some rest. It was very nice meeting you, though, Dr….?"

"Goode. But you can call me Meg. Nice meeting you, too…agent Booth, is it?" she replied, reaching out to shake his hand.

He nodded his head. "Call me Seeley."

"Great, it was nice to meet you, Seeley. Hopefully we can get together again before I have to leave town. I've heard so much about the people Tempe works with, I'd love to spend some time with you all."

"Definitely," Booth agreed. He moved to the door. "Well, good night."

"Good night."

The door clicked shut as Booth left, and Meg straightened the couch before turning off the light and nestling down again, her eyes closing as she dropped into sleep.

* * *

Temperance awoke the next morning feeling slightly disoriented. She was still fully dressed from the day before, complete with shoes, and she was lying on top of all her sheets and blankets. Her left arm was absolutely devoid of feeling, as apparently she had been laying on it all night. With a small groan, she draped it over the side of her bed in an attempt to regain some blood flow. She yawned broadly, and slowly sat up. Her head was pounding and she felt groggy, but overall she was much brighter than she had been the night before. She glanced at the clock. 8:14am. Pushing herself into a sitting position with her good arm, she stretched and yawned again, as she allowed the memories from the night before to come back to her.

She heard the muffled sound of a spoon scraping a bowl and the rustling of a newspaper in the next room, and she suddenly remembered—Meg. She rose from the bed and kicked off her shoes before walking into the kitchen.

Her friend's face brightened when she saw Tempe. "Morning, Sunshine," she said cheerfully. She had the paper spread on the table before her, which indicated that she had already been out for the morning since Tempe didn't have the paper delivered. Her golden brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, with a few errant strands framing her face. She looked scrubbed and awake, and Tempe was more than a little surprised that her friend's shower hadn't woken her up. She wore jeans and a black short sleeved shirt, with worn cross trainers laced onto her feet.

"Morning," Tempe replied, still struggling to wake up. "Sorry I didn't get to talk to you last night." She grabbed a bowl and spoon before dropping into the chair opposite of Meg. She then reached for the cereal and the milk to begin her breakfast.

"Don't worry about it," Meg said between bites. "I was tired from the trip here anyway. It was kind of nice to have a quiet evening with no papers to grade."

Tempe ate her cereal and felt herself waking up considerably faster. "Oh, so you give grades in philosophy? I thought it was all based on personal interpretation."

Meg shrugged, not looking up from the paper. "In some ways, but you can grade based on how well a position was argued as well. And on how well they understand the theories of other philosophers." She looked up at her friend. "You know I love you, but you look like shit."

Tempe laughed lightly. "Thanks. I'm about to get a shower and then I have to go to work. What are you up to today?"

"I thought I'd bum around the city for a while, and then maybe come by and see you. You promised to show me around where you work."

"Sure," Tempe answered, swallowing the last of her breakfast. "Come by whenever. I should be in the lab all day." She dropped her bowl in the sink and walked back to the bathroom, leaving her friend working on the crossword puzzle in the morning paper.

She showered and dressed quickly, and about thirty minutes later she was ready to leave. She walked into the living room, where Meg was lifting a book bag onto her shoulders. They talked a bit more as they headed out the door, and then split in different directions as Meg continued to walk down the street and Temperance headed for her car, both yelling "see you later!" over their shoulders as they did so.

By noon, Temperance and her team had finished the identification of all seven bodied recovered from Lambert's hideout. The fact that the task was now behind them lightened everyone's mood considerably, and they all relaxed over a long lunch before throwing themselves headlong into the process of signing the reports and forms for the case. Around two o'clock, there was a slight knocking on Temperance's office door.

"Hey, Meg," Temperance said as she saw her friend standing in the doorway. "Come on in and sit down, this form should only take another minute or two."

Meg did so, dropping her book bag onto the floor as she took in Tempe's office. Her observations were interrupted, however, as only a few seconds later Angela walked through the door.

"Hey, sweetie, I think I need you to sign off on this one, too," Angela said as she dropped the folder onto Temperance's desk.

"Thanks, Ange." She added the folder to her stack before pointing to Meg. "Angela, this is Meg, Meg, this is Angela," Temperance said by way of introduction.

"Oh, right, Tempe's friend from college. It's great to finally meet you," Angela said warmly.

"You must be the artist. Tempe's told me a lot about you," Meg replied. The two exchanged more pleasantries as Temperance worked on finishing the report on her desk. By the time Temperance was finishing up, it seemed that the two had hit it off.

"We should all go to dinner tonight," Angela was saying.

"Yeah, that would be great," Meg replied.

It was then that Booth entered the office. "Hey, Bones, I have some more paperwork for you to sign off on," he said by way of introduction as he approached her desk. Angela watched Meg as her eyes were instantly drawn to the FBI Agent.

'_Uh-oh,'_ Angela thought to herself. _'What's this? Someone has noticed our handsome FBI Agent. Unfortunately, the wrong person has finally noticed him.'_

Temperance sighed. "Thanks, Booth, just sit it on the pile with the others."

Booth nodded and dropped the papers. He then turned around and smiled at the two other women as if he hadn't noticed until then that they were in the room. "Hey, guys," he said. "How's it going?"

"Great," Angela replied. "Actually, we were just talking about all going out to dinner tonight. What are you up to?"

Booth shrugged as his eyes briefly flicked over to where Temperance sat, her head buried in the work on her desk, apparently oblivious to their conversation. "Nothing, I guess. What time are we going?"

Booth's quick look did not escape Angela's notice. _'And someone has noticed our beautiful forensic anthropologist. At least this time it was the right two people.'_

"Why don't we say around 8?" Angela suggested.

"Sound's good," Booth replied. They spent a few more minutes deciding where they were going and where everyone was going to meet. At Angela's suggestion, Booth was going to pick up Temperance and Meg, while she and Hodgins would get Zach.

"See you then," Booth said as he turned to leave the office. "See you later, Bones."

She nodded and waved slightly, barely looking up from her work as she did so.

Once he was safely out of earshot, Meg looked at Temperance and Angela and said, "okay, spill it. What's wrong with him?"

Angela and Temperance looked back at her. "What do you mean?" Temperance asked.

"Is he married?" Meg asked, dropping onto the couch.

"No, not married," Angela answered, unsure as to whether or not she liked where this conversation was going.

"Dating someone? Engaged?"

"No, he's single," Angela answered again. Temperance had resumed her paperwork.

Meg's eyes widened for a moment, as if in understanding. "Oh," she said. "So he's…gay?"

Temperance's head shot up at that as she and Angela started laughing.

"No, he's not gay," Temperance replied. "At least, I don't think he is."

"No, definitely not gay," Angela affirmed.

Meg looked at the two women, a slight air of confusion painted across her face. "So, he's completely unattached. Why aren't either one of you dating him?"

"I'm dating Hodgins," Angela replied. "Bren, why aren't you dating him?"

Temperance's head snapped back up as her friend's words played in her mind. "Because…we work together. It would be completely inappropriate. And, besides, Booth isn't really my type." She allowed her eyes to fall back to the paperwork on her desk, willing her mind to concentrate, although all that she could think about was her friend's question and her own response. What was her relationship with Booth?

'_Friends,' _her brain answered. _'You don't care for him in a romantic way. He's just a colleague and a friend. A good friend. But that's all. Strictly professional.'_

She mentally nodded to her own reasoning, all the while knowing in the back of her mind that this wasn't entirely accurate. Booth was a good friend, that was true, but at the same time she felt that he was more than that to her. However, what he was exactly still seemed to elude her. She gave a mental sigh. For now, good friend was the best she could do.

"Not your type?" Meg replied, her face showing her shock. "How can he not be your type? He's gorgeous!"

"Well, why don't you go out with him, then?" The words were out of Temperance's mouth before she had the chance to stop them.

"Are you serious?" Meg asked, skepticism showing in her voice. "You wouldn't care?"

Temperance was stuck. What could she do? She had already said that she that she wasn't attracted to him, that he wasn't her type. What was she going to do now? Say that her friend couldn't pursue Seeley Booth because she, Temperance, was unsure of how she felt about him? No, she was stuck, and she knew it. Her only option now was to go along with what she started and hope—pray—that it wouldn't work out.

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead, it's fine. You're both adults; you're free to do whatever you want," Temperance answered, all the while regretting her earlier comment.

"Can you set us up? You know, give him my number or something?" Meg asked, still unsure as to whether or not this was actually okay.

"Yeah, sure," Temperance answered, all the while mentally cursing herself.

"Wow. Thanks, Tempe. Really, thanks." Her face showed her obvious jubilation as she spoke to her friend.

Temperance just nodded.

Angela was in absolute shock. She could not believe what she had just witnessed. The three women stayed and talked for a while longer before Meg had to leave. After she had exited the office, Angela turned to Temperance.

"What the _hell_ was that?" She asked, unable to keep the incredulity from her voice.

"What?"

"What you just told Meg! What are you doing?"

Temperance shrugged. "I have no claim over Booth. If someone wants to date him, they can date him. It's none of my business." She said the words clearly, as if she really meant them, all the while ignoring the bad taste that was rising in her mouth.

Angela just stared at her. "Sweetie, this is _Booth_, okay? Booth. Your Booth. The guy who broke out of a hospital with broken ribs to rescue you. The guy who flew to New Orleans to make sure you were okay. The guy who put his professional career on the line and who tampered with evidence just to give you back an _earring._ I mean, Meg's a very nice girl, but come on, can you honestly tell me you don't have feelings for him at all?" Angela usually wasn't this direct with her friend when talking about Booth, but the scene she had just witnessed made it impossible for her to act otherwise.

"I don't have feelings for him," Temperance replied, her voice even and her face straight. She ignored the buzzing in her head as her unspoken words echoed in her brain. '_I don't want to have feelings for him.'_ Her eyes betrayed nothing.

Angela didn't know how to respond. "Okay, sweetie, if you say so."

Temperance gave her a small nod and then resumed the paperwork that was before her on her desk. Angela just shook her head.

"Alright, I'm going to go try to finish some things. I'll see you tonight."

"See you," Temperance answered.

'_They're supposed to be together. The NEED to be together. They're absolute messes apart from one another, but together they click. Booth sees it, why can Brennan?'_ Angela sighed to herself as she walked back to her office. She didn't know what was going to come of this new development with Meg, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

* * *

Go ahead and click the button to review—you know you want to. 


	3. Lowered Inhibitions

Disclaimer: Take a wild guess

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read and especially to everyone who reviewed. I've gotten a variety of responses. Some people want to know how far I'll let Meg/Booth go. Others would like to see Meg die in some sort of fiery accident (not to bring you guys down, but I don't think I'm going with this idea). I even had one reviewer saying something about furbies…I'm going to take that as a good thing. Anyway, thanks for the feedback, I look forward to getting more. Oh, and I know that I haven't lived up to my title yet. I promise there will be a body at the beach. But probably not for a little while yet—a few more chapters at least. Sorry this is turning into a long fic. If you hate it, let me know. Maybe we can work something out. And now, off we go…

* * *

"Tell me again how this is our problem?" Hodgins was exasperated as he stared at his girlfriend.

"She's our _friend_, and this is a mistake! We have to intervene before she wrecks what could be the best thing to ever happened to her!" Angela threw her hands about wildly as she spoke. She couldn't understand Hodgins sometimes. How could he not see the severity of this situation?

Hodgins just shook his head. "Babe, I understand that you want them to get together, okay? But we have to face the fact that these are their lives. They get final say over who they end up with. If that's each other, super, but we have to let them make that decision on their own."

"Why? If we already know that this would make them happy, why can't we meddle?"

Hodgins sighed heavily. "What are we going to do? I mean, really, what? Lock them in a room until they profess their undying love?"

"I wasn't proposing…hey, you know, that could work…"

"No. NO. C'mon, Ange, these are people's lives. Let them go. If it's meant to be, it will work out. Look at us. We got together on our own." Hodgins smiled as he mentally patted himself on the back. Not only was that reasonable, he also knew he had just scored some major points for sensitivity.

Angela threw her hands in the air. "What are you talking about with that 'look at us' crap? This is BOOTH and BRENNAN!"

His belief that he had just scored points quickly deflated. "Aw, I love it when you get romantic with me."

"You could just try to make him jealous."

Angela and Hodgins both turned to the new voice that had just entered the room. Zach dropped the file he was carrying onto Angela's desk for her to sign. He looked at them expectantly.

Angela responded first. "How would we make him jealous? And how would that even help?"

Hodgins stepped in at this point. "You know, that could work…"

"Of course it could," Zach replied. "If you break it down, it makes perfect logical sense."

Angela was truly lost as to where Zach and Hodgins were going with this. "How will making Booth jealous help? Tempe's the one who needs to get jealous."

"No, no, no, Boy Wonder over here has a point. We find some guy who will flirt with Dr. Brennan at dinner. Booth will go all protective, possessive, alpha male like he always does; Dr. Brennan will be oblivious to some guy hitting on her, just like she always is. Booth will focus on Dr. Brennan all night, which will piss off Meg and she'll therefore stop pursuing him. Bird one killed. Then, after dinner, Booth will confront Dr. Brennan and she will be forced to acknowledge that there is more there than friendship. Bird two down." Hodgins thought back over his reasoning for a moment. "Zach, you're a genius."

"I know."

"Hold on, how do we know that Booth will talk to Tempe after dinner? He's done the alpha male thing before and it never dawned on either one of them to make a move," Angela interjected.

Hodgins considered this for a moment. "Yeah, that's true." He paused. "Zach?"

Zach shrugged. "Alcohol?"

Hodgins nodded. "Yeah, if we got their inhibitions down it would be a lot easier."

"But if they have too much there's a chance they won't remember the details of what they tell each other in the morning. And worse, if something happens physically, there's a good chance they will end up regretting it later."

Zach and Hodgins thought about this for a moment. In the end, it was Hodgins who spoke. "Yeah, that's true. So, maybe alcohol isn't the answer. Maybe Meg is the key. I mean, she's staying with Dr. Brennan, right? She's going to notice if Booth ignores her. So, we find a guy to flirt with Dr. Brennan, let Booth go all crazy about it, and then just let Meg do what girls do later. She'll bring it up, then Dr. Brennan will be forced to think about it, and she and Booth will have to talk later." Hodgins smiled at his capacity for logical reasoning.

Angela shook her head. As much as she hated to admit it, the two made a compelling case. It might be a long shot, but this could work. It was at least more feasible than the locked room idea. She sighed. "Okay, I'll go hunt for a guy."

"We can do it," Hodgins interjected. "It was Zach's idea, and plus now I'm eager to be involved."

Angela shook her head. "Afraid I'm going to flirt with other guys?"

"Terrified."

* * *

Temperance was late. Very late. She had lost track of time at work, and now she was rushing home, hoping she had enough time to get ready before dinner. She ran through the door and went straight to the bathroom, where she quickly grabbed for a hairbrush. No time to waste, she continued to rush about, trying to get dressed, all the while talking to Meg who was completely ready to go and was sitting in the living room with a magazine.

Meg had dressed in a casual white tank top with wide straps, a flowing hippie-ish brown skirt and sandals. She had hammered silver earrings in her ears and an artsy necklace falling about her collarbone. She looked stunning. The white of her shirt showed off her warm California tan, and her hair was in soft waves about her shoulders and face. Her face looked young, too young to be a professor, but old enough to be a college senior. She looked relaxed in a sophisticated way. Nothing seemed to ruffle her laid back and amiable nature.

Temperance reflected on this as she got ready. She had known Meg for a long time, but through all the good times and bad they had had to endure in their friendship she couldn't ever remember fighting with Meg. They had always just gotten along. The truth was, Temperance realized, that Booth could do a lot worse than Meg. To know her was to love her—she was funny, smart, and fiercely loyal. Temperance remembered vividly how, at her graduation from grad school, Meg had come and sat in the audience where her, Temperance's, parents should have been. She never forced Temperance to talk about her past, though they sometimes ended up talking about it anyway. And, on top of everything else, Tempe loved Meg because Meg knew when to be silent. They could sit in a room together for hours and not say a word, and yet neither would be bothered by it. They simply knew how to be comfortable together in silence. It was a quality Tempe valued immensely.

Yes, Booth could do far worse than Meg. She knew that. That was why she didn't quite understand her sudden possessiveness over him. It wasn't like he was about to get involved with some terrible person. She sighed. It just felt weird. Shaking her head, she heard a knock at the door, and she knew Booth had arrived. She was almost ready, so she called for Meg to get the door while she finished. She heard the two talking in the living room and felt what was fast becoming the obligatory pang of—what? Jealousy?

Pushing this thought from her mind, she emerged from her bedroom, ready to go. She exchanged the usual pleasantries, and the group headed out the door. As they began to walk, Temperance felt a change come over her being. _Acceptance?_ She wondered. She didn't have time to dwell, however, as she suddenly realized that she had left her cell phone on her kitchen counter. She ran back to grab it, telling the other two that she would meet them at the car. After retrieving her cell, she jogged back after them and caught up just after they had gotten in the car.

Temperance felt the new emotion of acceptance drain away.

Meg was sitting in the front passenger seat.

* * *

"_This guy?_ Seriously? I send you guys to find someone who will make Booth jealous and you bring me _this guy?_" Angela was speaking in a hushed whisper to a cornered Hodgins.

"What's wrong with him?" Hodgins asked, truly perplexed. "Brian's a nice guy."

"Yes, Brian's a nice guy, but he's had a crush on Tempe for about two years now!"

Hodgins hesitated, still not seeing the problem. "Yeah…I know…that's how we knew he'd flirt with her."

Angela sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead as she closed her eyes. "Did it ever occur to you to find a guy who just thought Tempe was attractive?"

"Brian _does_ think Dr. Brennan's attractive."

"Yes! I know that! But Brian's crush on Tempe isn't exactly a secret. Booth already knows that he likes Tempe, and he also knows that Tempe basically ignores him. And, on top of that, don't you think it's just a little cruel to give this guy false hope since we already know she isn't going to give him the time of day?" Angela took a deep breath. "We need a guy who would make Booth feel threatened—ideally someone who Tempe would encourage and flirt back with."

"I'd be jealous if Brian were flirting with you," Hodgins pointed out.

"That's because you think there's some conspiracy going on that lets him have extra vacation days!"

Hodgins hesitated. She had a point. He sighed. "Okay, okay, you're right. I have terrible taste in guys, you happy now?"

Angela sighed again. "We'll just get though tonight and plan another dinner for later in the week. Then, we'll make Booth jealous with the guy _I_ find for us."

Hodgins just nodded. "I'm sorry," he said in tone that was almost boyish.

Angela shook her head. As stupid as he could be, and as irritating as he could get, one look was all it took to make her melt. "It's okay," she said, and as if for emphasis, she leaned in and gave him a slow and gentle kiss.

"Hey, since this guy isn't going to work out, we could just blow off dinner if you wanted…"

"Back to the table, Bug Boy," Angela said with a soft laugh.

Hodgins gave her an impish grin and a small wink as they turned and headed back to their chairs.

Brian smiled at Angela, which was answered by a menacing look from Hodgins, as the two settled back into their places. The restaurant was semi-casual and specialized in Greek food. Their table was on an outside deck, and the cool breeze blew away the last of what had been an oppressively hot June day. The four at the table smiled and talked for a few minutes, waiting for Meg, Booth, and Tempe to arrive. Zach glanced at this watch. They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.

Brian Harrcourt shifted slightly uneasily in his seat as he sipped his drink. He was nervous. Dr. Temperance Brennan was perhaps the most brilliant woman he had ever met, and he couldn't help being infatuated with her. He absentmindedly smoothed his hands down the sides of khaki pants as he mentally ran over his list of possible conversation starters. He didn't do this for long, however, as about two minutes later the three musketeers arrived at the table.

And so the night began. They ate, they laughed, they talked, and generally things went very well. It was relaxed and pleasant. After they had finished their meals, Booth suggested that they go to a nearby bar for drinks. Everyone agreed. And then, as they were walking to their cars, Angela saw something that blew her mind.

Meg climbed into the front passenger seat, while Tempe, with tense shoulders, and a very happy looking Brian slipped into the back.

They arrived at the bar and settled in. Booth was sitting beside Meg, directly across from Tempe, who was seated beside Brian. Angela, Hodgins, and Zach had strategically placed themselves to see all possible interactions between the four.

And then, it started. After they had been talking and drinking for about a half hour, Brian made an amusing comment, and Tempe responded by laughing and placing her hand on his knee in a companionable way.

"Challenge extended…" Hodgins whispered in Angela's ear.

Booth's eyes flashed for a moment when he saw the contact. As if in response, he laughed as well and lazily draped his arm around the back of Meg's seat.

"Challenge accepted," Angela finished.

Meg looked momentarily surprised, as did Brian, but both were too happy to dwell. They had no idea that they were keeping a perfect couple apart. All they knew was that they were receiving attention from people they both found incredibly attractive.

They evening progressed in this fashion, with Tempe and Booth stealing glances at one another when the other wasn't looking, and both silently upping the ante until Booth had Meg pulled comfortably against him and Brian's arm was hugging Temperance.

When it was time to leave it was Brian who increased the stakes. "Hey, Dr. Bre…Tempe, how about if I call a cab and give you a ride home?"

Tempe looked surprised, but when she saw a sudden flicker in Booth's eye, she had the unexplainable urge to go with Brian. "Sure," she said. "That would be great."

Hodgins thought Angela was going to choke to death.

* * *

Brian and Tempe walked around for a while before going home. Much to her surprise, she found that she was enjoying his company. She had to admit, if only to herself, that the real reason she had agreed to go with him was some sort of retaliation against Booth's spending time with Meg, but now that she was alone with him, she was finding that he really was a nice guy.

Booth and Meg drove around for a while before he took her back to Temperance's. She was a nice girl, but he couldn't help but notice that his thoughts kept being drawn back to Bones and that tool, Brian. Noticing his distraction, Meg asked him if everything was alright. He smiled at her and said that it was.

She seemed to consider this for a moment before she spoke. "You know, if this is too weird for you and Tempe, I mean, since you guys work together and everything, I really understand."

Booth smiled at her. "Oh, no, no," he said. "I wasn't thinking anything like that." His answer was almost reflexive.

She smiled. "That's great, but seriously, Seeley. I know Tempe said this was fine, but if it feels weird to you I completely understand. The last thing I want to do is make things awkward for you guys at work."

Booth's head sudden started reeling. _Bones had said it was fine? Bones had said she didn't care if he went out with Meg?_ He was stunned. He didn't know what to say. So, instead, he smiled and Meg and guarded his thoughts closely. He didn't allow her to see the effect her words had had over him.

Booth finally took Meg back to Temperance's. He thought about walking her to the door and hesitated. Meg was a beautiful girl; she was smart and funny, and she seemed to really like him. Bones obviously didn't care—hell, she was out with some other guy right now. And with that thought, he climbed out and locked the car behind him.

Halfway up the sidewalk, Booth paused. Meg turned around to see why he stopped, only to find him looking at her strangely.

"What?" she asked in confusion. And with that, Booth leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss.

"Oh," Meg said, softly. She looked up at his face. He was smiling. She found that she was, too.

They continued up to the building, went up to Temperance's floor, and were about to walk down the hallway to her door when Booth froze. Meg looked ahead and saw where his eyes were locked.

Standing in front of her doorway, they witnessed Brian Harrcourt give Temperance a soft kiss goodnight.

* * *

Feel free to review and yell at me for ending it that way. 


	4. Confrontations

Disclaimer: I don't own them

Author's Note: "The terror is not in the bang, but in the anticipation of the bang" –Alfred Hitchcock (wink). Thanks for all the reviews!

* * *

Temperance and Brian broke from their kiss in the hallway of Temperance's building. A small smile tugged at Temperance's lips. She couldn't lie; the kiss had been, well, _nice_. This idea surprised her. Normally, it was hard for her to get close to other people quickly, but with Brian somehow it had just happened. She ignored the fact that right before he had leaned into kiss her, she had been thinking about Booth, out God knows where with one of her best friends. However, she also had to acknowledge the fact that, although she had been thinking about Booth before the kiss, her thoughts had been entirely on Brian while the kiss was happening.

Behind her she heard what sounded like a muffled cough. She turned her head and instantly felt her stomach contract with a feeling of—guilt? Standing at the end of the hallway was Booth, staring at her and Brian, who still had his hands resting on her waist. He had a strange look on his face, a look which Temperance couldn't quite define.

Her guilty feeling was short lived, however, when she noticed Meg's fingers laced through Booth's. Her stomach lurched at the sight. Slowly, she removed herself from Brian's hands as Booth and Meg walked towards them. Booth's eyes never left Temperance's until he and Meg reached the doorway.

He gave Brian a nod of greeting before he spoke. "Well, imagine finding you guys here." His eyes left Temperance's and settled on Brian.

"Booth, Meg," was Brian's simple response.

The two men stood staring at one another for a moment as Temperance looked back and forth between the two. They seemed to be sizing one another up, challenging in some silent fashion. As if in response to this, Brian reached out for Temperance's hand; she took it without thinking.

"Hey, guys," Meg spoke up, apparently oblivious to the silent male feud that was happening in front of her. She smiled warmly at Temperance. Temperance sudden had the feeling that something more than hand holding had happened between the two.

The four exchanged the usual pleasantries before Brian turned his attention back to Temperance.

He leaned down and gave her a kiss that wasn't entirely chaste before saying, "I had a great time, Tempe. I'll see you tomorrow."

Temperance, who was slightly stunned, just nodded in response. Brian gave Booth a tight smile, though there was an air of victory in his eyes somehow, before turning and heading back down the hallway.

Booth turned and looked at Temperance, who averted her eyes from his gaze. Something intense was going on and she knew it, but at the same time it wasn't something she was sure she wanted to be engaged in.

Booth quickly returned his attention to Meg, drawing her in close before kissing her deeply. Temperance watched in some sort of masochistic fascination. It was like witnessing a car accident—she didn't want to see it, but at the same time, she couldn't look away.

When they finally broke from the kiss, Meg looked slightly dazed. Booth just smiled at her before smoothly walking away, though as he passed, his eyes did connect with Temperance's for one last, far too intense, moment.

Temperance and Meg entered the apartment in silence. They didn't need to say anything. Meg walked immediately to kitchen, opened the fridge, and extracted two cans of diet coke, while Temperance kicked off her shoes and dropped onto the couch. This was their ritual—for years, when they had been living together in college, there had been nights when they had both had dates, and for years, they did the same thing afterwards. Provided the date didn't turn into an all night event, they would wait for one another to get home. Then, once they were back, they would stay up, drinking cokes—or beers, if they had been particularly bad dates—and going over the finer details. However, although it was a system that Temperance had greatly enjoyed while in college, she was notably less enthusiastic about it tonight.

_Booth and Meg. Meg and Booth._ The words and images ran through her brain. _He kissed her. They kissed each other. Oh God—this relationship between them is really happening. They are really going to be a couple._ She shook her head as if to dislodge the thoughts. What the hell had been happening in the hallway? The tension between her and Booth had been palpable. His eyes had challenged Brian almost manically. However, when it was all said and done, he was sticking his tongue down Meg's throat. She hated to admit that the sight had nearly made her sick.

Meg returned with the drinks and dropped down across from her on the couch. Temperance gave her a slight smile, silently wishing Meg would announce she was tired so that she, Temperance, would not have to hear all the details about Booth. She wasn't sure she could handle it.

Meg, of course, had no idea that this thought was going through Temperance's mind. "Okay, go ahead. Tell me about Brian," she said, as she popped the top of her drink.

Temperance gave a mental sigh. So much for being tired. "We had a really great time. After we left you all, we just walked around for a while. It was…nice."

Meg nodded. "He works with you, right?"

"Yeah, well, no, not with me, but he works at the Jeffersonian."

"Oh, I see," Meg responded. "So, that's it? He was just nice. No fireworks, no magic?"

Temperance thought for a minute. _Had there been fireworks?_ She had to admit that kissing Brian hadn't been unpleasant—actually, it was more than not unpleasant, it was downright enjoyable. He was a nice guy, he hadn't tried to push or pressure her—it was refreshing. She smiled and gave Meg a slight shrug. "I don't know. I guess maybe it's still too soon to tell."

The response seemed to satisfy Meg, and the two sat quietly for a moment. Temperance knew that it was her turn to ask now. With another mental sigh, she spoke. "So, you and Booth. How did it go?"

The smile that instantly erupted across Meg's face made Temperance feel as though she had been slapped. "He's amazing," she said, her eyes sparkling as she spoke.

Temperance just gave a slight nod and took a large swallow of her drink in response. She felt the liquid spill down her now dry throat.

Meg noticed her lack of response. Her face fell slightly. She sighed. "Okay, seriously, Tempe, I don't want to do anything if it's going to make things weird for you." She watched her friend for a reaction. When she received none, she continued. "I know that you and Booth have to see each other a lot, and I know that if something happened with us and it didn't work out, that could make things awkward. Hey, I even understand if maybe you just don't want to know that much or be that connected to his personal life. So, if you want me too, I'll tell him that I can't see him anymore. No hard feelings, really. He's a great guy, but going out with him isn't worth making your work situation a mess."

Temperance glanced at her friend and was touched by the sincerity with which she had made her statement. She knew that Meg would back off if she asked her too. And, in her mind, she was thinking, _'Yes. Tell him you can't see him anymore. I don't want you to date him. I don't want ANYONE to date him.'_ And yet, even as this thought ran through her head, she pushed it away.

"No," she answered. "It's fine with me if you date him." It was a flat out lie, and she knew it, but at the same time she couldn't think of any reason to objecting to Meg's dating Booth. She couldn't claim that she didn't want Meg to date him because she had feelings for him—she was technically seeing Brian now. She had no past history with Booth on which to base awkward feelings…she had nothing. "Seriously, I guess it was just a little weird seeing him out with someone. I'm used to seeing him with suspects."

The two exchanged a light laugh at that. They then finished their drinks while talking back and forth, and finally decided to call it a night. As Temperance changed for bed, her thoughts ran back over the conversation she had just finished with Meg. _'Maybe this is okay,'_ she thought. _'Maybe this is even good for me. He's just a work partner and friend. If he has a chance to be happy, I'm happy for him. And if he can be happy with one of my best friends, I guess that's even better.'_ She ignored the nagging part of her brain that told her this was all a lie as she fell asleep.

* * *

Temperance was in her office, working at her computer, when she had her first visitor of the day. Angela walked in and flopped onto her couch, simply saying, "Okay, what happened?" as she did so.

"Good morning to you too, Ange," Temperance replied. "And nothing happened."

Angela looked at her disbelievingly. "Nothing at all?"

"Nothing. One kiss at the doorstep, that's all."

"YOU KISSED HIM?" Angela exclaimed.

The tone of her voice brought Temperance fully back into the conversation, as she realized that she hadn't been thinking of Brian when she answered the question. She had been thinking of Booth and Meg. "Uh, yeah, we kissed," she answered.

"Please, oh please, tell me it was just one kiss!"

"Um…"

"OH. MY. GOD. I don't believe this! Alright, tell me everything."

Temperance sighed, but when she realized that she wasn't going to be able to get out of the conversation, she proceeded to recount the evening's events. Angela listened in silent, open-mouthed shock.

"So, Booth and Meg were _standing there_ both times you kissed him?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess they were." Temperance's cheeks flushed slightly.

It was then that the door to Tempe's office was opened with a bit more force than was probably necessary, and a very agitated looking Booth stalked in. He gave no indication if he noticed Angela, but stared at Temperance as he walked into the room.

Temperance just stared back at him, unsure of what was going on or what she was supposed to say. Luckily, she was saved as at that moment the phone rang.

"Brennan."

"Hey, Temperance, it's me," Brian's voice said through the phone line.

"Oh—hi, Brian," Temperance responded. Booth's eyes flashed and his jaw tightened. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to get together later tonight. Maybe see a movie or something?"

Temperance glanced at Booth. He was still staring at her, his gaze intense, challenging. Something about his look made her feel rebellious. "Sure," she said, almost forcefully. "A movie tonight would be great."

Angela watched Booth ball his hands into fists, his knuckles white with anger as Tempe and Brian worked out the details of their night together on the phone. She felt fairly certain that Booth would combust in a matter of moments.

Tempe hung up the phone and the two stared at one another silently. An extremely tense moment passed, and Angela, sensing that nothing would be accomplished if she stayed in the room, decided to excuse herself. Her words seemed to go unheard, and she shut the door behind her when she left.

"You're seeing him again?" Booth was rigid with adrenaline.

Temperance looked back at him defiantly. "Yes, I am. Why, do you have a problem with that?"

Booth leaned forward and placed his hands on her desk, looking down at her as she remained seated in her chair. "Why do you want to see him again? He's a loser."

Temperance stood up then. "He is _not_ a loser. He is a very nice guy who I want to see again because he happens to be someone I am very attracted to. Why is this any business of yours?" Okay, so she wasn't _very_ attracted to him, but what was one lie going to hurt? Besides, Booth was being a jerk.

"It's my business because you are my partner. It's my job to look out for you."

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much. Besides, you weren't too concerned about me last night when you were fondling my old roommate."

Booth almost growled at her response. "Oh, you're upset about that? Funny, I didn't think you would be considering you told her it was fine if she wanted to go out with me."

Temperance felt a momentary shock at his words. "How do you know about that?" Her voice was a touch quieter.

"She told me," he answered, his voice still eerily calm and menacing as he walked around her desk, approaching her. "She told me that you said you didn't care if we saw each other…_socially_. So, you can see why I'm a little _confused_."

Temperance stood up a little straighter. "If you're so happy with Meg, why are you so upset about my seeing Brian?"

"I'm not _upset_ that you're dating that scientist loser, but after the scene you two made in the hallway…"

Temperance cut off his line of thought, as she felt the anger inside her grow to a dangerously fevered pitch. "WHOA. What? Scientist _loser?_ Need I remind you, _Agent Booth_, that I also am a scientist, and your partner. I would therefore thank you _not _to degrade my work or the other people who do it. Also, my personal life is no business of yours. I am free to see who want, kiss who I want, and sleep with who I want. And as far as _scenes_ go, I feel it is more than a bit disingenuous of you to refer to my actions as a spectacle while you stood in the very same hallway and practically checked Meg's tonsils with your tongue!"

Booth was enraged now. "Excuse me for kissing the girl _you set me up with_! I mean, for God's sake, Bones…"

Temperance cut him off again. "Do not call me 'Bones'! Bones is not my name, it is not my nickname, and in fact the only purpose it serves is to give you the misguided idea that you have some form of control or ownership over me! _I am not yours, Booth._ I have a name, and I would thank you to…"

Now it was Booth's turn to cut her off. "Fine, _Dr. Brennan_. Excuse me for trying to find a way of identifying you that made you seem human! But no, I should have known better, _Dr. Brennan_ isn't like everyone else! She does have feelings!" Booth stopped to catch his breath, staring deeply into her eyes. It was only then that he noticed that in the heat of their argument, they had come to be standing very close to one another.

His words stung her terribly. "I have feelings," she answered him, though her voice was not as strong as she wanted it to be. He was standing very close to her now, and she could feel the tears pooling behind her eyes. _'This isn't the time,'_ she thought as she quickly tried to will them away.

Her dampened eyes did not escape his notice. Almost without thought, he reached up wiped away the single tear that had escaped down her cheek. "What do you have feelings for?" His voice was low now, not at all accusatory. He stared deeply into her eyes, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. His gaze shifted to her lips, which were parted slightly, and he noticed that her breathing, like his own, was hitched and uneven.

They both continued to stand still, lost in the intensity of the moment. Their gazes shifted between each other's eyes and lips, and a few moments later, as if being pulled by some unseen and uncontrollable force, Booth leaned in closer to her.

Her body responded as if by instinct. Her eyes fluttered and closed as she leaned toward him, slowly. She could feel his warm breath on her mouth; just his proximity made her heart race.

Booth saw her eyes close, just as he felt his do the same. The awareness he had learned in the military seemed to kick in as he noted how far apart they were. Their lips were almost touching. _'To far apart,'_ his brain seemed to say. _'Get closer."_

However, before their lips connected, the phone on Temperance's desk screamed, shattering the silence in the office. Temperance and Booth flew apart, their eyes jumping open as they did so.

"Brennan," Temperance answered as she picked up the phone.

Booth stared at his shoes as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. _'What just happened?'_ his brain was screaming. _'What WAS that?'_ He ignored his mind when he heard it answer, _'that was almost heaven.'_

"Oh, hey, Brian."

At the sound of her voice, Booth's head snapped back up. _Brian?_ He glared into Bones' eyes, who quickly dropped her gaze to her desk. Anger rose once again in Booth's chest, as he quickly stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him as he did so.

* * *

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	5. A New Case

Disclaimer: A lot of people own parts of this show. I am not one of them.

Author's Note: Let's hear it for the fastest update in history! Actually, my computer was down for a few days, so I had finished chapter four and was working on five…it's done now, though. :-) Thanks for all the reviews, they're great!

* * *

Brian came by Temperance's office at about 6:30. From there, they left and went to see a romantic comedy about a woman who was falling in love with a man who refused to move out of his parent's house. After a long day at work, the movie was a welcome distraction and soon Temperance and Brian were laughing easily at the couple's antics and mishaps.

"Who's the dark-haired actress?" Temperance whispered to Brian after a particularly humorous scene involving a mockingbird and a BB gun.

"Um, her name is Zooey Deschanel, I think," Brian whispered back.

When the movie ended, Brian had taken Temperance's hand and the two had left the theatre. They walked around for a while, talking about the movie, talking about work, and pretty much talking about whatever else happened to come up. At one point they saw a group of pigeons attacking a young woman who had been giving them bread. That gave them a good five minutes of conversation on its own. The conversation was relaxed and unhurried, and soon the couple found that they had lapsed into long periods of silence, each a bit worn down from the day.

Although she was having a good time, Temperance had to admit that her thoughts were primarily centered on Booth, and the fight they had had earlier. She ran over the things they had said in her brain as she and Brian walked. And then, her thoughts drifted to how the fight had ended…she had almost kissed him. She had _wanted_ to kiss him…it was that thought more than anything else that bothered her.

Brian must have noticed her pensive look, and he asked her if she was alright. She quickly assured him that she was fine, but she that it wasn't true. She was on a date with a funny, smart, good-looking, great guy who liked to talk to her and listen to what she had to say, but she couldn't stop thinking about the guy who had burst into her office and yelled at her until she was at the brink of tears. A guy who at this very moment was on a date with one of her closest friends. Something was seriously wrong.

At the end of their date, Brian drove Temperance back to the Jeffersonian to get her car. When they said goodnight, Brian had leaned in and given her a kiss that was long and deep. When the kiss continued and it became clear that Brian wanted to turn it into more than just a kiss, Temperance had quickly broken the contact. Brian had looked a bit disappointed, but simply smiled at her as he retreated back to his waiting car. He told her as he went that he would call her the next day.

Temperance nodded at him blankly, not really processing his words. Her thoughts were jumbled and confused. She climbed into her car and prepared to leave, but instead of driving home, she began driving aimlessly around the city, trying to sift through her emotions. She thought about heading home after a while, it was getting late, but the prospect of talking to Meg about her date with Booth made the idea unappealing. With a sigh, she pointed her car back to the Jeffersonian. She let herself in and spent the rest of the evening doing leftover work in her office before falling asleep on her couch.

* * *

Temperance woke up early the next morning, not because she was particularly well rested, but because her couch was not nearly as comfortable as a full sized bed. Her neck was slightly stiff and her muscles were a bit cramped, but as much as she hated to admit it, it was worth the pain just to have an evening where she didn't have to hear Meg tell her what a great kisser Booth was. _I almost found out for myself…_ she quickly pushed the thought away.

Luckily, she kept a spare set of clothes in her office, along with a few essential shower items and a toothbrush. She knew Angela made fun of her for preparing for overnighters at her desk, but the truth was on mornings like today it was convenient be prepared. She cleaned up quickly and within twenty minutes she was back in her office, booting up her computer to start on another day's work.

Zach arrived at about 7:50, followed closely by Angela and Hodgins at 8:00. The group exchanged the usual morning banter, assignments were given, and soon everyone was beginning their work for the day.

Angela eyed Temperance all morning; she was dying to know what had happened with Booth the day before, and she had tried to confront her, but Temperance had effectively avoided her all afternoon. She knew Tempe couldn't hide forever, though, and she planned to find out what happened. Today.

Around 9:45, Temperance was leaned over a lit examination table, her eyes running over the skeletal remains of a person, male, discovered at an archeological dig in Egypt. The remains were well intact, thanks in large part to the fact that they had been buried for many years, and Temperance was so engrossed in her work that she didn't even notice when a new person swept angrily into her lab.

Zach noticed. And when he saw the menacing scowl on FBI Agent Booth's face, he mumbled something about having work to do and left quickly.

Hearing him mumble and leave caused Temperance to look up from her work. It was then that she saw Booth; his eyes instantly locked with hers.

"We need to talk," he said. His voice was solid and unyielding. His eyes were ablaze with unfiltered rage. "Now."

She stared at him, unsure of what was going on. She knew they had fought yesterday, but time was supposed to calm people down, not make them angrier. She looked at him for a moment longer and felt the familiar feelings of resentment toward him rise up again like bile in her throat. She shrugged. "Later. I'm busy."

He nearly growled in response. "_Now_." And with that, he spun on his heels and stalked to her office.

She groaned inwardly. She hadn't been lying; she _was_ busy. She felt her own anger begin to grow. Who was he to tell her what she had to do? With this thought in mind, she bent her head back over the table and continued her work.

Booth returned a moment or two later. His footfalls were heavy, just barely short of stomping. _'He's just like a child,'_ she thought to herself. She didn't look up. She didn't want to encourage his little tantrum.

"Bones," he began. His voice was menacingly low. "We need to talk now. Come into your office."

She looked up at him. "I'm _busy_, Booth! Do you see all of this?" She gestured to the table in front of her. "This is me _at work_. I don't have time to…"

He cut her off with another frighteningly piercing look of rage. "_Now_." His voice was barely higher than a whisper.

Something about his tone startled her. It almost made her afraid. With an exasperated sigh, she removed her gloves and walked passed him, into her office.

She stood behind her desk as he entered and closed the door. "Alright, what?" she asked. Her tone was a bit more abrupt than she had intended.

He stood silently for a moment. "Where were you last night?"

His words made her feel off balance. "Where…what?"

He turned his head to face her, slowly. His eyes were still ablaze. "Where were you? You didn't come home. I want to know where you were."

She stared at him for a minute, dumbfounded. "I went out with Brian, and then we…"

He cut her off before she could finish. "I _KNEW_ IT!" He threw his hands in the air as he shouted. Then he turned quickly and pinned her with a fierce gaze. "What did he do to you?"

All Temperance could do was stare. "What are you talking about, Boo…"

He cut her off again. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. What did that creep do to you?"

She felt indignation rise within her. "He is not a _creep_, Booth. He happens to be the man I am dating!"

He looked wounded for a moment at her words. When he spoke again, his voice was still laced with violent anger. "You didn't come home. Where were you? What did he do to you?"

"He didn't _do _anything to me, Booth! God, what is it with this whole "alpha male" thing! I could take care of myself if he forced me to do anything, _which he didn't_, I might add!"

"You know, you're not always as safe as you think! And you could have called or something, but nooo, not the great Temperance Brennan! She doesn't answer to anyone! She doesn't need anyone! Did it ever occur to you to just let someone know that you weren't going to go home last night, in case something happened?" He was waving his hands about wildly as he spoke, lost in his rage, not even fully thinking about the words he said before they were out of his mouth.

Temperance cut into his tirade. "What the hell are you talking about? Why would I have called _you_ if I decided not to come home! It's no business of yours what I do, or who I do it with. I'm an _adult_, Booth, I can do what I want and with who I want. And as far as last night goes, you can back off because I slept _here_, okay? I wasn't having sex with Brian!"

He froze at her last statement, as if saying it made the idea somehow more real. They both just stared at one another for a moment, slightly out of breath from their shouting. In the back of her mind, Temperance wondered if everyone at the Jeffersonian could hear them; she silently hoped she hadn't been heard when she was screaming about her sex life.

Booth took a few moments to regain his bearings, but when he spoke again his voice was as forceful as ever. "You still should have called. You should have let someone know where you were."

She jumped in at this point, stopping him from going further as a new realization hit her. "How do you know I didn't?"

He froze for a moment. "What?"

"How do you know I didn't call someone?"

He hesitated. "I called Angela and asked her, and she said she hadn't heard from you…"

"What about Meg? How do you know I didn't call Meg?" Her voice was angry and insistent.

"You didn't," he answered simply.

"_How do you know I didn't?"_ There were only two ways he could know. She was desperate to know which one was true. When he didn't answer, she asked again. "There are only two ways you could have known whether or not I called. Either Meg called you because she couldn't find me, or…" Her voice trailed off when his gaze shifted to the ground.

"Oh my God."

"Wait a second, it's…" Booth began, but he was quickly cut off by Temperance's angry voice.

"_You hypocrite!_ You come here, yelling at me because I didn't go home when the only reason you know I _didn't_ come home is because you were sleeping with one of my friends!"

Booth didn't seem to have a response to that at first. Before he could formulate one, Temperance rallied on. "How _dare_ you come here and give me that "holier than thou" routine!" She froze, and stared at him for a moment, as the second part of the puzzle clicked into place.

"Oh my God, and it was at my apartment, wasn't it? You sleep together in _my_ apartment!" She sudden felt very dizzy, as if she was going to be sick. "You know I didn't call because you were having sex _in my house!_"

Booth jumped in at this point. "That's not true! Yes, I stayed at your place last night, but I did _not_ have sex with Meg!"

Temperance stared at him. "Right. Because so often when two people who are dating spend their first night together, they spend their time playing monopoly."

"I didn't sleep with her! I just stayed there!"

"And, to think, you had the nerve to come here today and yell at _me_ because you thought I _might_ have slept with Brian! How _dare_ you!"

"That's not what happened!" He approached her quickly and placed his hands on her upper arms. "Listen to me, what…"

She moved her arms violently, pushing him away. "Don't," she said as her gaze shot daggers at him.

"I did not sleep with Meg. I brought her back to your place, she invited me in, and we talked. Then, she fell asleep and I realized you weren't back yet, so I waited to make sure you got there. Which, I might add, you _didn't_. I mean, God, Temperance, would it have been so hard to call or to let someone know if you…"

"What is wrong with you! You spent the night in _my_ apartment, with _my _friend, without my permission! What right do you have to be angry with me?" The heat of her rage made her wonder if she was about to set the sprinklers off. Her entire body was tense and rigid with anger.

His voice was slightly quieter as he spoke, but not at all gentler. "I was worried, okay? I mean, what do you know about this guy? In your line of work, it's not like you don't have a line of people who would love to see something happen to you! I mean, c'mon, Bones, be reasona…"

"Do _not _call me that." Her voice was low and primal. "I am not your 'Bones', _agent_ Booth."

They stared at one another for a moment in silent anger. Finally, it was Temperance who spoke. "Get out of my office."

He continued to stare at her for a moment. "Now." She said. And with that, he turned and slammed the door behind him as he left.

* * *

Angela knew something big was going on. She had heard Tempe and Booth fighting in her office, but she hadn't been able to hear what they were saying. Then, when it was all over, Booth and stormed out of the Jeffersonian. And he was angry; angrier than Angela had ever seen him. She had tried to talk to Tempe about what happened, but she wasn't very forthcoming with information. She had just made some comment about how Booth was "incorrigible", which made Angela smile slightly. Then Temperance had referred to him as an "asshole", and Angela's smile faded. Something big was going on.

Around 4:00, Temperance was once again leaning over her lighted examination table, her eyes going over a set of bones while she and Zach wrote down details. Angela and Hodgins stood nearby. Neither had much to do, so they had decided to spend their time trying to get Tempe to talk about what happened. She hadn't been very open about what had happened.

Just as they were about to try asking again, Booth swept into the room. His eyes showed that he hadn't exactly calmed down from what had happened earlier. Temperance looked at him with hard eyes, betraying nothing.

"Yes, Agent Booth?"

"We have another case, _Dr. Brennan_," he said, dropping the folder onto a nearby table.

She turned her head back to what she was doing. "Fine," she said, without looking up. And with that, Booth gave and imperceptible nod and left.

Angela, Hodgins, and Zach shared a look. They were beginning to believe that setting Brian up with Tempe as a means of making Booth jealous had been a bad idea.

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	6. Understanding

Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep saying this?

Author's Note: Sorry this update took so long, I'm working on finals for school. Thanks for all your reviews, you guys are great. Sorry for any typos that there might be in this. I try to catch them, but when I went back a re-read some of the chapters I saw that I have missed a lot. I'll do my best to type more accurately. And now, moving on to the reason why you clicked the link for this story in the first place...

* * *

Temperance finished her examination of the Egyptian bones around 5:30. There wasn't anything particularly out of the ordinary about the remains as far she could tell, the man seemed to have died of natural causes, so the process had gone quickly. She instructed Zach to repackage the bones as she pulled off her gloves and threw them in the nearby bio-waste bin. He replied that he would as she scooped up the file from the table where Booth had dropped it earlier.

She entered her office and tossed the papers onto her desk before shrugging out of her lab coat. She hung it up and then circled her desk to sit down and take a look at the new victim. She had barely begun to read the papers when Hodgins entered her office.

"Hey, Dr. Brennan, what's going on?" he asked with a smile. His hands were buried in his coat pockets, and he looked slightly uncomfortable standing in her doorway.

"What can I help you with, Hodgins?" she answered, barely looking up from the folder. She couldn't deny that she was slightly annoyed by the interruption.

"Nothing, I was just wondering, you know, how you were doing." He shifted his weight from side to side, swaying slightly as he did so.

Tempe looked up at him. Hodgins was wondering how she was doing? "What's going on, Hodgins?"

She heard an exasperated sigh from the hallway, and a soon the noise was followed by a very frustrated looking Angela. "What he's trying to ask is, what happened with Booth?"

Temperance stared at the new presence in her office. She sighed. "Guys, can this wait til' later? I've got work to do and…"

Her line of thought was cut off when Zach walked in. "I finished with the bone, Dr. Brennan," he said as he entered. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

Temperance felt her pulse throbbing behind her eyes. It had been a long and tiring day, and she just wanted to get through the beginning of this file before she took off for the day. She was rapidly growing annoyed with all the interruptions. "No, Zach," she began. "Just make sure you…"

She was cut off yet again as another figure entered the room. It was Brian. "Hey, Tempe." He surveyed the room. "Is there a party going on in here?"

Now Temperance was irritated. "Is there anyone else?" she exclaimed, looking about the now crowded room.

Apparently, there was, as at that moment, Goodman entered the office. "Dr. Brennan, I was just coming by to make sure you got the file from Agent Booth."

Temperance stood from her chair, sighing loudly. "Yes. I got the file, and I would be working on it, however it seems that my office has somehow become confused with a phone booth at a college fraternity!"

Zach, Hodgins, Angela, and Brian looked back at her in surprise. Goodman apparently missed the sarcasm. "Very well, then," he said as he turned and left.

He almost bumped into Meg as he walked out the door. She looked around for a second before her eyes settled on Temperance. "Hey, Tempe," she said, brightly. "I was wondering if you wanted to go grab some dinner, I haven't seen you much since I've been here."

The appearance of a sixth person was enough to send Temperance fully over the edge. "NO!" she nearly shouted at the shocked faces in her office. "NO, I don't have anymore work for Zach, NO, I don't want to make small talk about my general health and mood, NO, I don't want to talk about what happened with Booth, NO, I don't want to have dinner, and NO, there isn't a party going on in my office! I want to finish this file so I can go home and relax! Please! Let me do that!" She paused for a moment, out of breath, as the others stared at her, stunned. She instantly felt ashamed. She dropped back into her chair. "I'm sorry, guys. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just tired, and with this new file, I have a lot I need to do, and…I'm sorry."

The group stared at her, numbly, as they all nodded. Seeing their faces stunned faces made Temperance feel worse. She started to apologize again, but Angela spoke first. "We're sorry, Sweetie. Would it make you feel better if we all left and came back one at a time?" A faint smile played across Angela's face.

Temperance glanced at her, and had a moment when she wondered why Angela was now smiling. "Actually, that would be great," Temperance answered. Angela smiled again and began pushing everyone out of the office.

"Great. And I think we should go in alphabetical order."

Temperance had to chuckle then. "Okay. Alphabetical order. By last name."

Angela turned and shot her a quick look. "Fine. But I'm still coming in. You're not going to be able to hide forever."

Temperance nodded slightly as everyone but Zach left. He looked slightly uneasy after her outburst. "I'm sorry, Zach. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You did great work today, and you're done if you want to go."

Zach smiled at her compliment. "Are you alright, Dr. Brennan?" He asked, his voice a bit hesitant.

Something about the innocence in his voice made Temperance smile. "I'm fine, Zach," she said, reassuringly. "Really. Thanks for today." She bent her head down, signifying that the conversation was over. Zach nodded and left.

Meg was next on the list to enter. She eyed Temperance as she sat down on the couch. "What's going on?" she asked.

Temperance looked over at her. "Nothing. I'm just a little stressed. I'm sorry I haven't gotten to see you much since you've been here." _Even though the reason I haven't is because you are spending all your time with Booth…_she pushed the thought away.

Meg nodded. "I'm sorry, too." She hesitated for a moment. "What did you mean before when you said you didn't want to talk about what happened with Booth?"

Temperance remembered her earlier statement and had to fight the urge to slap herself out of stupidity. "It's nothing. Booth came by earlier, and we…had a disagreement. It's not a big deal."

Meg didn't look like she believed her, but she also knew her friend well enough not to push. Temperance would talk to her in time. "So, was it a definite no for dinner, or were you just venting when you said that?"

Temperance laughed. "What did you have in mind?"

"Booth was talking about going to some Italian place…"

Temperance's thoughts jumped. _Booth was going?_ The idea of spending an evening with Meg quickly lost it's appeal when she learned that she would have to watch Meg and Booth flirting the entire time. "You know what, I actually don't think I can go tonight. Sorry. I have to work on this new case, and…"

Meg nodded. "Right. The case." She smiled knowingly before adding, "Booth isn't coming with us."

Temperance smiled at her friend's perception. "Are you sure? I don't want to force you to break plans with him or anything…" _Yes. I do. I want to force you to break all your plans with him. I don't want you to date him._

"You're not," Meg answered, as she stood from the couch. "After all, I came here to see you, not him." She smiled as she headed for the door. "I'll see you when you get home, we can leave after that."

Temperance nodded as Meg left. Brian entered the room a moment later.

"Hey, baby," he said as he walked in.

Temperance froze for a moment. _Baby?_ "Um, hey, Brian."

"I was thinking you could come by my place tonight and I would make you dinner." He smiled earnestly.

Temperance's thoughts were drawn back to the kiss in the parking lot the night before. And now he wanted her to go to his house? You didn't have to be a genius to figure out where his mind was headed. "You know, I can't tonight. I just made plans with Meg."

Brian looked disappointed. "Oh, I understand, well, maybe another night, then?" She shoved his hands in his pockets.

When Temperance answered, she was aware that she was addressing more than a dinner invitation. "Maybe," she said. And with that she returned her attention to her desk. Brian nodded curtly before walking out the door.

Angela nearly knocked Brian over as she bounded in. Temperance watched in mild amusement as she pushed him out the door and closed it behind him. She then practically jumped on Temperance. "Okay, it's my turn now. Tell me what happened."

"Your last name is Montenegro. Shouldn't Hodgins be next?"

"Oh, don't give me that, you know Jack only came in to talk to you because I sent him!"

Temperance had to smile at her friend's honesty. "Nothing happened with Booth. We had a disagreement. That's all."

Angela balked at this statement. "Yeah, right, and Zach was voted "most personality" at his high school prom. Look, I know it has to do with where you were last night; he called me, sounding all possessive and pissed. Now tell me what happened with you guys these past two days!"

Temperance sighed. "Do we have to do this right now?"

"Yes."

"It's not a big deal. Booth and I had a difference of opinion, our discussion got a little heated, and he left. End of story."

"End of story, my ass. When are you guys going to drop this Ross and Rachel routine and just talk honestly about your feelings?"

Temperance looked back at Angela blankly. "I don't know what that means. Who are Ross and Rachel?"

Angela let out a frustrated sigh. "They're characters from a very popular sitcom called…you know what, never mind! That's not the point! Please just tell me what actually happened."

Temperance sighed again; it was becoming her action of choice that day. "I don't really feel like getting into it now, Ange. Its been a long day. I just want to forget about it and finish up here so I can go home and relax. Who cares what I fought with Booth about? It's over now. Let's just drop it."

Angela was frustrated with her lack of progress, though she did feel she had a small victory in that she had finally gotten Temperance to admit that there had in fact been a fight. She nodded. "Fine, but this isn't over. See you later, Sweetie."

Temperance nodded and response and once again dropped her eyes to the folder on her desk. Angela shook her head as she walked out the door, down the hall, and into her own office. Much to her surprise, when she entered she found that she wasn't alone.

"Is she okay?" Meg asked. Her eyes betrayed that she was slightly worried.

Angela smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. You know Tempe. She refuses to _not_ be okay." Meg nodded, and Angela smiled at her. "She'll be fine."

"It's Booth, isn't it?"

Angela just nodded.

"I was afraid this was going to happen. I was afraid my dating him was going to lead to problems. They both said it would be fine, but I shouldn't have listened. Now everything is completely screwed up." Meg stood from Angela's desk, where she had previously been sitting.

"It's not your fault," Angela countered. "They told you it was okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

Meg nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, I guess." She paused and looked down for a second, and then looked up and met Angela's eyes. "They don't even realize it, do they?"

Angela paused for a moment, confused by Meg's words. "What?"

"That they're in love with each other. They refuse to see it." Her voice was quieter.

Angela was dumbfounded by Meg's words. "Yeah. They refuse to admit it."

Meg nodded again. Angela was at a loss for words. A few moments later, she found her voice. "If you knew, why did you date him?"

Meg shrugged. "I didn't know right away. And then, when I realized it, I figured that it didn't matter since Tempe was already dating that Brian guy." She sighed. "And, I didn't want to see it. I mean, Booth's a great guy. He was fun to date. I guess a selfish part of me was just hoping things would work out with Tempe and Brian so that I could date Booth."

"That's not so wrong. Booth _is_ a great guy."

Meg smiled. "Yeah. But he's _Tempe's_ great guy."

Angela nodded. The two were quiet a moment longer. "So, what are you going to do?"

Meg shrugged. "What can I do? I'll call him and tell him that it's over."

Angela nodded again. "You okay?" she asked Meg.

Meg almost laughed. "Yeah, of course. I mean I went on, what, three dates with the guy? He's a good kisser, but not _that_ good."

Angela laughed as well. She was finding Meg that she really enjoyed Meg's company.

Meg felt the same way. "Hey, Tempe and I are going out to dinner tonight. Do you want to come? Make it a girl's night?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun."

* * *

Temperance leafed through the file one last time before pushing it into her bag and heading out the door. She'd gone over the fact several times, and she felt confident that she knew all the pertinent information. Bones had been found in Assateague, VA, on a federal wildlife refuge. A preliminary evaluation had concluded that the bones appeared to be human. Assateague was situated near Wallops Island and rested directly beside Chincoteague. The case was receiving immediate attention because the area was located directly beside a Navy base and a branch of NASA. It was considered to be a highly sensitive area. Chincoteague Island was a major vacation location, it's main clientele being families as it was a beach town. The small island was overrun with people in the summertime; the remains had been found by a family who were taking a bike ride down one of the nature trails on the refuge.

Temperance turned off the lights and shut her office door. This case would be time consuming. Even if the remains were well preserved, the report had shown that no skull was found with the corpse. Unless it was simply moved to another location by animals, the lack of dentals would make identification difficult. On top of this, Chincoteague's high tourist population meant that these remains could be from anywhere—it wasn't hard to gain access to the refuge. The body could have simply been dumped there, or someone could have killed a family member or friend while on vacation. People from all over the country came to Chincoteague in the summer. Temperance sighed. From what she knew so far, this case was going to be tough.

As she walked to her car, she dialed Booth on her cell phone. He didn't answer, which made her feel a bit relieved, and she left him a brief message, letting him know that she had finished the file and she would be ready to get to work on it whenever. She very formally referred to him as "Agent Booth", and her tone was cool and professional. She kept her message brief. When she had finished, she clicked the phone off and plugged it into her car charger before turning the key in the ignition and speeding off.

She was glad she was having dinner with Angela and Meg. The truth was, she really had regretted the fact that she hadn't gotten see Meg since she had come to see her. It would be fun to have a girl's night. She smiled as she felt herself relax into the plush car seat. She turned the radio up and listened to the singers melodically chant. As she pulled into her driveway, her phone rang sharply. She glanced at the ID. It was Booth. She hit the button to ignore and shoved the phone into her purse before heading up the stairs to meet her friends.

* * *

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	7. Sleeping Partners

Disclaimer: I'll give you two guesses

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews! You all actually gave me some ideas without even realizing it, so thanks for that, too. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, and I hope that my bad typing and lack of stellar writing skill hasn't brought you down too far. :-) And now, off we go...

* * *

While Temperance was at her office pouring over the file for the new case, Angela and Meg were sitting her apartment, planning ways of dumping Booth, debating over the content of their fight, and brainstorming ways of getting them together.

"I guess I could tell him the truth; that I'm breaking up with him because he's in love with one of my best friends."

"Yeah, but he'd just deny it. I mean, he won't even admit to her that he's crazy about her, why would he admit it to his girlfriend? And, on top of that, if he's angry enough at Tempe, losing his girlfriend over her will just make things worse."

"I guess I could just pick a fight with him and dump him over that."

"Yeah, but that will wound his pride. We need to figure out a way for you to dump him that gives him enough confidence to get closer to Brennan."

Meg thought for a moment. "I could start the fight by claiming that Tempe told me they kissed in her office."

The two laughed at the outlandish idea.

Meg looked pensive as the two sat in silence. "I could always just stay with him for a while longer. Push him closer to Tempe, and eventually get him to cheat on me."

Angela looked slightly shocked. "You would be willing to do that?"

"Well, no, but it was an idea."

They smiled at each other. "You know, Jack had an idea about locking them in a room together…" The pair laughed again.

"Why don't I just give him a generic break-up? You know, 'it's not you, it's me', 'I'm not at a point in my life where I can handle a codependent relationship' and all that other crap."

Angela nodded thoughtfully. "I guess that's the best way to go. I don't see where we have many other options."

Meg agreed and took a deep breath. She picked up the phone, Angela picked up the extension so she could listen, and they dialed Booth's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Booth."

"Hey, Seeley, it's me." Meg did her best to make her voice sound tentative and unsure.

It worked. "Hey, Meg, what's up? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what?"

"I just…I don't know if…" she sighed, as if out of frustration. "Listen, Seeley, you're a great guy…"

Booth had been with enough women to see where this was headed. "Oh. I see."

Meg sighed again. "Look, it's not you, it's me. I was thinking about it, and I realized it's just selfish of me to date you. I mean, I'm going to be leaving before to much longer to head back home, and it's not fair to you if I just string you along. I just don't know if I'm at a point in my life where I can fully commit to a real relationship."

Booth listened, quietly. Partway through her speech, he heard his call waiting beep. He quickly glanced to see who it was. "Bones" flashed across the screen. He opted not to answer.

"I'm really sorry, Seeley."

"Hey, it's okay, I mean, we had fun, right? If you don't want to do this, we don't have to." He hesitated for a moment, thinking. After a moment, he decided to try his luck. "Are you doing this because of Bones?"

His question took Meg by surprise. She quickly looked at Angela for support. Angela just stared back at her, also unsure of how to answer.

"Um, well, um, what if…I mean…why would you ask that?" _'Well played,'_ she silently berated herself. _'Very articulate.'_

Her fumbling response answered Booth's question. "She told you that we should break up, didn't she?"

Meg was stunned. "What? No! No, no, no, she had nothing to do with this. This is all me."

By the sound of Booth's breathing, Meg knew he didn't believe her. "Seriously, Tempe didn't even know I was thinking about doing this. She's not involved. _I'm_ the bitch."

Angela looked at Meg, her eyes awash with confusion and amusement. "You're the bitch?" She mouthed silently to Meg.

Meg rolled her eyes and shrugged. "I panicked," she mouthed back.

When Booth spoke again, his voice simmered slightly with the anger from his earlier fight with Temperance. "There's nothing going on between Temperance and I, Meg. She's just a colleague. I don't know what she's told you, but that's _all_ we are." He pronounced each word carefully and slowly, as if referencing a specific event.

Angela and Meg looked at each other again. A mutual question went through their minds: _What is Booth trying to hide?_

"It's got nothing to do with her. Seriously. I just don't feel like this is the right time for a relationship for me. I'm really sorry. I hope we can still be friends."

The conversation wrapped up quickly, and Meg and Booth said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Booth sat for a moment, quietly, thinking back through what had just happened. He noticed his phone blinking, alerting him that he had a voicemail, and he dialed to listen to it. It was Bones. She left him a very formal, articulate, cool message about the case and hung up quickly. He felt irritation at her clipped tone, but somehow her words didn't inspire the rage they had earlier. He thought for another moment before picking up the phone and dialing her number.

Angela and Meg stared at one another after hanging up the phone with Booth.

Meg spoke first. "So, do you want to pump Tempe for information about what Booth was trying to hide while we're at dinner?"

"No, it's her business; we should just let her tell us whenever she feels ready."

There was a beat of silence before Meg replied. "Really?"

"Oh, no, we're definitely going to grill her."

* * *

Temperance arrived in the apartment about a minute later, and apologized for being so late. She had planned to arrive sooner, but going over the case file had made her lose track of time. Her friends told her not to worry about it as she hurried to her bedroom to change. They both looked at one another, silently going over ways to breech the topic of Booth. Unfortunately, they could not find a convenient means of entering the conversation, so they let it go for the time being. They left for dinner shortly thereafter.

The Italian restaurant that Booth had recommended was excellent. The three drink wine, reminisced about college memories, and laughed often. They were all having a great time, but Meg and Angela were finding it difficult to work Booth into the conversation. They knew if they were going to get Tempe to tell them anything, they would have to make it seem that the topic had come up organically, naturally. They bided their time, waiting for an opening.

Temperance provided it for them. "So, what's Booth up to tonight?" she asked Meg. Her eyes betrayed her; she hadn't wanted to talk about Meg and Booth, but she knew that she should. After all, he _was_ her friend's boyfriend, and she was giving up a night with him to spend with her.

Meg jumped on the opening. "Actually, I don't know. I ended it with him this afternoon."

Tempe looked surprised. "You did? Why?"

"He just wasn't right for me," Meg replied, shrugging dismissively. _He's head over heels for another girl. _

Angela knew that this was the perfect opportunity to get Tempe to open up. If they handled this carefully and tactfully, they might be able to get some real information about what had been going on. "So, what's been up with you and Booth these last couple of days?" Screw tact and carefulness, the suspense was killing her.

Temperance sighed. "_Nothing_. We've been over this. We had a disagreement. That's _all_."

Angela wanted to slap herself. They were still getting nowhere. Meg chimed in at Tempe's response. "I think we should have some more alcohol."

Tempe smiled. "So, you're thinking that if you get me drunk, I'll tell you what happened?"

"It seems logical to me," Angela answered.

Tempe had to laugh. "Why can't you guys just let it go? It wasn't a big deal. What do you want me to say?" _That I almost kissed him? That I wish I _had_ kissed him?_

"Oh, c'mon!" Meg whined. "I just broke up with him! Aren't we supposed to sit around and talk about how much we hate him now? Telling us about the fight and what a jerk he is would be perfect for this conversation!"

Temperance shook her head again. Meg and Angela were frustrated. They finished dinner, paid the check, and headed back to Temperance's house. They didn't let the subject drop; Temperance continued to dodge their questions.

Eventually, the dynamic duo admitted defeat for the evening. "This isn't over!" Angela vowed, as she headed for the door.

Temperance sighed wistfully. "Oh, but if only it was." The three laughed as said their goodnights. Angela headed back to her apartment, while Tempe and Meg, who was still firing random questions to Brennan, changed and settled in to sleep off the day.

* * *

Temperance arrived at her office at 8:00am the following morning. She grabbed a cup of coffee on her way in and spent the first half hour of the morning talking to Angela, Hodgins, and Zach. They exchanged their usual banter, divided up work for the morning, and finally split apart to start their various tasks. Temperance was working on her final evaluation of the Egyptian skeleton so that it could be sent back to it's own country for burial. The remains had been less than noteworthy; though they were old, Temperance's study of them had shown they weren't ancient, and they were mostly likely the bones of a common man, aged 40-49 when he died. At 10:00, when she was finishing up her report, Booth swept into the lab.

"Dr. Brennan," he said, curtly, when he saw her.

She looked up from her paperwork. "Agent Booth."

"Are you ready to go?"

Temperance paused. "Go where?"

He looked confused for a moment. "To Chincoteague. I left you a message last night. We're supposed to go down there today so you can look at the bones."

Temperance gave herself a mental head slap. She hadn't thought to check her messages after she had ignored Booth's call. "Oh, right, that. Um, yeah, I guess I'm ready," she surveyed her table quickly. She was almost done here anyway. "Zach!" She called as she brushed past Booth.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan?"

She spoke to him as she walked toward her office, shrugging her lab coat off her shoulders. "I have to leave for the day. Can you please see to it that the Egyptian bones are catalogued and then prepared to be sent back to Egypt?"

Zach nodded. "Of course."

Temperance paused, remembering. "Oh, and I was supposed to work on the skeleton from China today as well." She hesitated, looking over at an expectant Zach. His eyes lit up when she spoke. "I'm sure I can trust you to work on that." She handed him the appropriate forms. "Go ahead and go over them. I'll check them over again when I get back."

Zach unconsciously puffed out his chest at her vote of confidence. "Absolutely, Dr. Brennan. I'll get started right away."

Temperance had to smile at his enthusiasm. "Thanks, Zach." She grabbed her bag and headed out her office door to meet Booth, who was waiting outside her door.

* * *

It was about a four and a half hour drive to Chincoteague, and most of it was passed in an uncomfortable silence. Booth and Temperance didn't know what to say to each other; they were still irritated from the confrontations of the past days, but both were also too tired to argue. Booth's mind was still running over his break-up with Meg, still trying to dissect what Temperance might have told her, while Tempe sat back, wondering if Booth knew that she knew about the ending of his relationship with Meg. Uncomfortable with the silence, Booth turned the radio up and the two wordlessly listened as the radio squawked the sounds of static, guitars, and pounding drums.

When they reached Pocomoke, MD., Booth announced that they were only a half hour away. Temperance was grateful for this fact; she desperately wanted to get out and stretch her legs.

Booth felt the same way. "There's a Taco Bell up here," he said, as he pulled the SUV off the highway and into a turn lane. "Let's grab some food."

Temperance just nodded in response. They climbed out of the car, spent a few minutes stretching their cramped legs, and then ate quickly and quietly. They climbed back in the SUV to finish the trip.

They stopped for gas about ten minutes later at the MD/VA state line, and then continued on their way. Although Chincoteague was in fact an island, it was reached by a series of bridges through the marsh. The trip was long and tedious, but the scenery was pleasant enough. Temperance gazed out her window. The Eastern Shore wasn't a rich area, but it had it's attributes.

They arrived at the Refuge and, after identifying themselves, they were immediately taken to the remains. They hadn't been moved from the woods, though there had been people watching them closely for the past few days. Since they were an isolated area, it was difficult to procure a competent recovery team to gather the evidence.

Temperance slipped on her gloves and began to look over the remains. They were, in fact, human, just as the preliminary evaluation had said. The remains were scattered over a small area of the woods, but the skull was obviously missing.

"Who has access to this trail?" Temperance asked, looking up the park ranger, a kid who looked to be about 20.

He shrugged. "Everyone. It's a federal park; open to the public. People walk and bike these trails all day."

It wasn't the answer Booth had been hoping for; a lot of traffic meant a lot of suspects. "Well, they aren't going to be walking this one for a while, at least not until we've had a chance to clear the area." He looked at Temperance. "It's definitely not an animal?"

Temperance nodded, looking back down at the bones. "Definitely human. I found—wait a second." Something caught her eye, and she kneeled back down in the grass. "This bone shows signs of osteoporosis," she said, staring at the small whitish object in her hand.

Booth failed to see the significance. "Yeah, so?"

She looked up at him. "The pelvic bone is male. Though it's possible for men to get osteoporosis, it's unusual."

Booth was quiet for a moment.

"And, on top of that, the bones are those of a young male—late teens to late twenties would be my best guess right now. This bone is significantly older."

Booth continued to stare at her. "So, you're saying…"

"We have the bones of at least two different people."

* * *

Temperance and Booth spent most of the day at the refuge. Tempe had to do most of the recovery on her own as she was the only one who really knew what she was doing, but she and Booth did manage to find a few people to help. They called a nearby hospital and arranged to have the bones sent to their morgue for the night; at 8:00pm, they were still working on searching the scene. Lack of light forced them to finally stop, much to the relief of the now very tired people who had be recruited to help them, and they arranged to come back the next day to finish the recovery.

Booth looked at his watch. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not wild about the idea of driving five hours back home tonight, just so we can get up and daybreak to hall our asses back down here again."

Temperance nodded. If they tried to head home now, they would get about two hours to sleep before they had to leave again; they had arranged to come back to the site at 6:30am the next morning. "Well, we're in a tourist town, let's just go find a hotel."

And so, they began their search. By 9:00pm, they had been laughed out of five hotels.

"It's almost the end of June. There's no way you're going to find a room on this island without a reservation, much less two rooms," they were told.

Finally, one hotel proprietor came through for them. "Listen, I don't have any rooms tonight, but if you folks are going to be stuck here for a few days, I might be able to help you."

Temperance and Booth looked at one another and shrugged. They both knew that being stuck here for a while was likely. "What do you have?" Booth asked.

The man looked back at the computer screen. His face was lined with age and obvious years of smoking, and he had a generally haggard appearance, but his hotel did look very clean. His voice had a heavy Southern accent when he spoke. "I'll have a room available tomorrow. It's the best you're going to do without a reservation."

"One room?" Booth asked.

The man nodded. "Yeah, but it's got two beds."

Booth sighed. It was their only option. "Fine. We'll take it."

The old man smiled at them. Temperance cut in. "What are we supposed to do tonight?"

The man scratched his chin. "Well, you're sure as hell not going to find a room tonight on this island. If you want, I'll let you park in my parking lot, and you can sleep in your car. I'll let you use the facilities in here for showers and such."

Temperance and Booth nearly groaned at the idea. Seeing their faces, the old man sympathetically shrugged. "Sorry. It's all I can do."

Temperance and Booth nodded. They knew the man was being kind to them; it wasn't like he had to be kind with them to ensure their future business—there were no other hotels with rooms available. "Thanks," Booth said. "And if it isn't too much trouble—do you maybe have some toiletries we could use? You know, razor, toothbrush…?"

The man smiled. "Of course. I'll get Lauren to get you folks whatever you need."

They worked out the finer details of their arrangement, and then headed back to the SUV. They grabbed a quick dinner, and Temperance called Meg to let her now that she was going to be on her own for a few days. After this, she called Angela, explained the situation, and asked her what her thoughts were on taking a trip to bring her and Booth some extra clothes.

"We're going to need you and Hodgins down here anyway," she explained. "I need help with recovery; there's more bones we need to look for."

"Sure, Sweetie, we'll come tomorrow."

"Thanks, Ange," Temperance replied.

There was a beat of silence. Then, "So, you're spending the night sleeping with Booth?"

Temperance glanced over at the Booth as they walked down the street. He was distracted and obviously not paying attention to her conversation. Temperance sighed. "Yes," she replied.

"Mmm-hmmm," Temperance could hear the smile in Angela's voice. "Have fun, Sweetie."

Temperance stifled a groan. "See you tomorrow," she said simply, and clicked off the phone.

* * *

This is the point in the story where the readers review. 


	8. Getting Along

Disclaimer: See all the other chapters if you are still confused about this.

Author's Note: Don't you just love fast updates? Thanks for all the reviews so far, you guys are awesome! Okay, so here's the thing--today I finally figured out what the crime was going to be, and how it was going to work (yes, I realize it took me eight chapters to figure out my plot, but what canI say? It's my first fic). Do you want another scary thought? I got my inspiration by listening to the first verse of "Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. :-) Here's why I'm telling you that--I really like the idea, but if I do it, this is going to be a pretty long story. I know I already give you long chapters, but it's still going to take me a while. So, I just wanted to throw that out for you--if anyone's morally opposed to this, please let me know, we'll talk, and I'll see what I can do...I mean, it's not like anything is set in stone yet.Anyway, here's the chapter...oh, wait, one more thing...this chapter is for all of you who have gotten on me about making Booth and Bones hate each other for so long now. :-) Now, seriously, here we go...

* * *

Temperance shoved the phone back into her bag as she and Booth continued down the street. It was 10:30pm now, and the once busy atmosphere of the main drag had died down considerably. Chincoteague wasn't a large area—in fact, it was extremely small—but it played well to beach lovers and families. There were tee shirt stores, a one screen movie theatre, and several restaurants. Though there weren't many flashy aspects to the sleepy little town, it was the home to many artists, and small makeshift galleries lines the side streets. There were a few larger places, with better art that had been created by people with obvious talent, and these seemed to lend credibility to the more marginal shops. 

The heat of the day was still firmly ensnared in the humid air, but the lack of sun kept it from being the "take your breath away" heat of the afternoon. The air was think and musty with the sounds of a few restless seagulls and the warm stench of marsh. It wasn't exactly a pleasant smell, but somehow, when you were standing on a quiet island where you could hear the ocean from almost every street, it made the air seem like a rich childhood perfume.

Tempe and Booth walked quietly, both silently reflecting on the day. The silence was somehow more relaxed than it had been on the trip down; more comfortable.

"Angela and Hodgins are going to bring us some of our stuff tomorrow?" Booth asked simply as they walked.

Temperance just nodded in response. The evening air didn't lend itself well to talking; it was something that demanded a kind of reverent silence.

When they arrived back at the hotel parking lot, they both hesitated before getting back in. Neither was looking forward to spending a night sleeping in an SUV.

Booth finally sighed. "I guess there's no use putting it off. We're stuck here. Do you want the front or the back?"

Temperance surveyed the choice. The front passenger seat would recline, so whoever slept there would be more upright, but they would also have more leg room. The back seat would allow whoever slept there to actually be reclined, but their legs would no doubt be sore by morning.

She gave Booth a quick once over. She would be uncomfortable in the back, but for him the confined leg room would be worse. "The back, I guess," she answered. He nodded and opened the back door her without thought.

She stopped for a moment, looking at him. She knew his move to open the door had been instinctual; it was obvious by the swiftness of his movement. Ordinarily she would have commented on how he was treating her like a helpless female, but somehow tonight it didn't bother her so much. It seemed sweet, in an innocent way.

She smiled and climbed in as Booth let himself into the passenger seat. After spending a few minutes trying to arrange themselves into semi-comfortable positions, they both stilled their movements and listened to the crickets singing loudly outside, as they dropped their eyes closed in an effort to sleep.

Thirty minutes later, they were both still awake. And hot. And annoyed. Neither said anything, both assumed that the other was sleeping, and they stewed for a time in their mutual frustration.

Tempe heard Booth make a noise that sounded like a stifled groan, and she realized he was awake. "You awake up there, Booth?"

She heard him sigh. "Yeah. Who can sleep like this?"

She shrugged, only vaguely aware that his back was to her. They lapsed into silence for another moment; the uncomfortable feeling from the drive down returned.

Booth spoke tentatively a few moments later. "Hey, Bones?"

It was the first time he had called her Bones in over twenty-four hours. Somehow, hearing him revert back to her old nickname made her happy. "Yeah?"

There was a beat of silence. "I'm sorry."

Temperance suddenly felt confused and off balance. "For what?"

"You know…for the other day."

Temperance sat quietly for a moment. Was he talking about the fight? Or the fact that he had almost kissed her? "Oh, um, it's…"

He cut her off. "No, it isn't okay. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

His words gave her a momentary thrill. "I yelled at you too, Booth." She saw him nod. "I'm sorry, too."

They were quiet for a minute before Booth spoke again. "So…we're okay?"

Temperance smiled. "Yeah, we're okay."

"Except for the fact that we're stuffed in the SUV from hell."

They both laughed, rolled down the windows, and stayed up talking until 4:30 the next morning.

* * *

When Booth's cell phone alarm sounded at 5:15am the next morning, he and Temperance groaned in unison. They had been asleep for less than an hour. With a frustrated sigh, Booth turned his head and looked at his very irritated forensic anthropologist. 

"Mornin', Sunshine," he said as he ran his hand over his weary face.

Temperance looked like she was ready to hurt someone. "Why is it whenever I get hung up with you I end up with sleep deprivation?"

Booth chuckled. "Good luck, I guess. We probably should go ahead and get showers so we can head out to the site." He yawned broadly as he spoke. When he finished, his eyes were only half open. "Ladies first?"

Temperance nodded numbly and climbed out of the SUV. She headed toward the doors of the hotel, where the all-too-perky teenagers at the front desk directed her where to go for the shower. Obviously the old man from last night had warned them ahead of time. Booth watched her enter the building, and was dropping back to sleep before she was even fully inside.

She showered quickly and cleaned herself up as best she could. She wasn't a vain person, but she still avoided looking the mirror. There was no way she even looked presentable. When she had finished, she headed out to the SUV where she found Booth, snoring loudly.

She had to laugh at his appearance; he was nearly comatose. She hated having to wake him up, but they had work to do. She walked to the passenger side and opened the door.

Her brain was barely functioning, which is probably why she failed to notice before she opened the door that Booth was leaning against it. She lifted the handle only to find her arms suddenly full of the dead sleeping weight of an FBI agent.

Booth woke with a start when he started to fall and was caught by Temperance. He looked up suddenly and found himself staring into her eyes. His lower body was still in the car, but his entire upper torso was hanging over the parking lot and he was being held under the arms by Bones.

She had bent her knees slightly to brace herself when his weight hit her, and now she was standing over him, their faces dangerously close. There was a moment when neither moved. It passed quickly, however, and Temperance helped Booth gather his limbs and stand.

"Sorry," she mumbled when he was standing on his own. She yawned and stretched.

He did the same. "Don't worry about it. I needed a good scare to wake me up anyway." They both laughed, and Booth headed off to get a shower.

'_How does she do it?'_ he thought as he walked to the building. _'She slept for about twenty minutes in the back of a car, spent all day yesterday in the dirt, showered and had to put the same clothes back on, and isn't wearing any makeup—and she's still gorgeous.'

* * *

_

After finishing a quick shower, Tempe and Booth grabbed a couple of bagels and coffee from a downtown bakery and headed back to the Refuge. It was only 6:30, but it was already hot. Tempe organized another makeshift team and began her search for evidence. By the time two hours had gone by, she had already had to stop at least 35 times to stop someone from destroying potential evidence.

Booth watched her in amusement. She was trying to be patient, and she as actually doing very well, but he could see that she was tired and just wished everyone would be able to do their job without her having to monitor them every second.

The recruits eventually improved, and by the time 11:30 rolled around, things were moving along smoothly. Booth had been helping with the recovery as well, and as much as he wanted to make progress on the case, the heat of the middle of the day was almost too much to take. He suggested that they stop for a while since it was so hot, and that they would meet up to start again around 3:00 when the sun wouldn't be so oppressive. The makeshift crew eagerly nodded and looked to Temperance like children looking to their mother for permission. Much to Booth's surprise, Temperance looked relieved and agreed.

They hadn't eaten in about five hours, so after he and Temperance had some water, Booth merrily announced, "lunch time!"

Temperance just smiled. The man did get excited over his food. The picked up sandwiches and sat on some outdoor picnic tabled to eat. The island was crowded again; they were surrounded by happily squealing children and hot looking parents.

When they had finished their lunch, they wandered around for a while. Booth's cell-phone screamed sharply around 1pm, and he was told that the room they had been promised was available. The old man explained that usually check-in time wasn't until later, but he felt bad that they had had to sleep in their car. He then lapsed into a story about how he remembered when he was in the service and home on leave his wife, been married 47 years now, can you imagine that, made him sleep in the car, and Booth quickly cut him off. They were learning quickly that people from the Eastern Shore liked to talk. They checked into the room and then headed up to spend the last of their time off before going back to the site in the air conditioning. Tempe called Angela to tell her the room number, and she was informed that she and Hodgins would be arriving around 3:30.

Booth flipped on the TV and sat down beside Bones, where she had dropped onto the bed. The air conditioning felt like heaven. After a while, Temperance sat up and the two resumed their conversation from the night before. Booth was amazed at how easy he found Temperance to talk to, and before he knew it he was telling her stories about Parker as a baby, and about his own childhood, and about how he had played soccer in the fourth grade. Temperance just smiled and nodded at him, encouraging, but obviously amused at his exuberant conversation.

He looked at her sheepishly a while later. "I guess I'm talking too much."

He looked boyish, impish when he said it. His collar was flipped at a strange angle; Temperance laughed off his statement and reached up to fix it for him. "No, you're fine," she reassured him. "I don't mind."

The backs of her fingers brushed his neck ever so gently as she folded the collar back into place. His face suddenly grew serious.

Her breath caught, and suddenly they were in her office again. Staring into each other's eyes, ignoring the passage of time.

They didn't lean in for the kiss; they didn't get the chance. The door handle rattled and they heard a sharp knock. "Tempe, let us in before I kill Hodgins!"

Temperance and Booth broke from their trance and smiled at one another before Tempe stood up to let her friends in.

Booth ran a distracted hand through his hair. Her smiled told him that she acknowledged that had happened, and he was suddenly unsure of himself. He was aware that if they had sat there much longer, he probably would have kissed her. The thought frightened him slightly. 'What's wrong with me?' he thought. He shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. This was Bones. She was just a colleague, nothing more.

"You made it early," Tempe said as she helped Angela and Hodgins through the door. Her voice was natural and even, but the slight flush on her cheeks didn't escape Angela's notice. Tempe was going to be questioned about this later.

"Yeah, well, Grandpa over here finally let me drive. I swear, he drives like an old woman going to church."

Hodgins puffed slightly. "I do not drive like an old woman! I'm cautious!"

"Whatever, Gramps." Angela surveyed the room. "Well, this should be fun."

Temperance looked around with her. "Yeah, I guess you and I will share a bed and so will Booth and Hodgins."

Booth and Hodgins both shot each other a look. "Uh, you know what, I think I'll just give the car another shot," Booth said.

Angela and Temperance shot him a look. "Oh , c'mon, be men," Angela said, rolling her eyes at the two guys who were now eyeing one another.

"Just sharing a hotel room doesn't make you gay," Tempe pointed out.

Hodgins and Booth both stood up straighter. "We know that!" Hodgins shot back defensively.

Temperance and Angela laughed. "Whatever," Tempe said. "C'mon, Booth, it's almost three, we have to head back to the site."

Booth nodded and followed Temperance out the door.

* * *

The recovery of the site continued to go well. Although they didn't find many more bones, Tempe was able to recover almost the entire skeleton of the male. The old woman's bone troubled her; it seemed out of place. She had only found two bones that went with that skeleton, both of them finger bones. Something about it troubled her. When they had finished most of the recovery, Tempe called Hodgins and told him to come down to collect some samples. She had gathered some for him, and had marked where she had found evidence so he could take others. Then, she and Booth headed off the hospital morgue so the Dr. could do what she did best. 

Temperance studied the bones closely. They were definitely those of a male, aged 18-25 years. The structure suggested that he had been Caucasian, and had stood roughly 6'0" to 6'4" tall. She was still uncertain about cause of death, do in large part to the fact that the bones had scratches and teeth marks left by animals, but the bone at the base of his skull was fractured and broken, which lead Tempe to believe that he had died of a blow to the back of the head, probably delivered by someone who was shorter than him. She was studying the angle to get a feeling for what direction the attacker would have come from when Angela called.

"Brennan."

"Time to leave the morgue, we're starved and ready to go to dinner."

Temperance looked at her watch. It was 7:30. How had it gotten so late? "Okay, come pick me up." She clicked off the phone. Booth had dropped her off at the morgue about two and a half hours ago.

She called Meg while she was waiting for her ride. She apologized profusely for being such a bad hostess, and swore that she would make it up to her. Meg had just laughed her off.

"This has been some trip, huh? I come to see you, and you're the only one I don't see!" Her amusement was evident in her voice.

"I'm really sorry. I'd invite you down here, but we're already out of bed space."

"Don't worry about it," Meg said, dismissively. "I went by your office earlier to drop your clothes off to Angela and ran into that Zach kid. Turns out for him it's a Friday night with nothing to do. I got talking to him and asked me if I could take him out and show him how to pick up girls."

"What!" Temperance laughed at the idea. That didn't seem like something Zach would do.

"Hey, what can I say? People open up to me. He said he'd like to meet someone but he's not real comfortable meeting new people."

"He was obviously comfortable meeting you!"

They both laughed. "It's just my gift, you know that. People tell me things. That's why you and I are so close." It was true. For some reason, people felt compelled to share their personal lives with Meg. Something about her made people feel instinctively comfortable; she and Tempe had gotten along very well in the beginning for this reason. She knew how to get people to open up about what was really bothering them without making them feel pressured, and she was very perceptive. Temperance just shrugged. "Okay, be good to him. He's the only assistant I have."

Meg laughed. "I'll play nice. He seems like a sweet kid. I'll take him to a bar and he'll find a girl in no time."

Temperance smiled. Meg had no idea how hard her evening was going to be. "Good luck with that," Tempe answered with a slight smile. Tempe saw Angela pull up outside the doors. She said her goodbyes to Meg and headed to the waiting car.

* * *

Now is a good time to review. 


	9. A Growing Case and a Good Cup of Coffee

Disclaimer: I'm sure you can guess.

Author's Note: Thank you once again for all the great reviews! Since no one sent me a message telling me they would hunt me down and kill me if I made this a long fic, I guess I'm going to go ahead with that. If for some reason you still aren't on board with the idea, let me know, we'll see what we can do. I got a lot of good responses for the fluffier aspects of the last chapter, and I thought about playing with your emotions this time, but I decided against it...for now ;-) Hope you like this chapter, off we go...

* * *

"Hey, Sweetie," Angela said as Temperance climbed into the car. "How'd it go with the dead guy?"

"Okay, though I am having a little bit of trouble thanks to markings on the bones from animals."

Angela nodded as they pulled onto the main road. "I'm sure you'll work it out."

Temperance nodded as well. "Hopefully. So, where are we going to dinner?"

"Hodgins and I saw a seafood place on our way in, about 15 minutes off island. I left him and Booth back at the hotel; we figured you'd want to shower and change before we left."

Temperance nodded again. She wanted that very much. "Thanks."

Angela nodded back. "So, what's going on with you and Booth? Making any progress there?"

Temperance sighed; she knew when she saw Angela in the car alone that this topic would come up. "There's nothing going on, Ange."

"You seem to be getting along better. I guess sleeping together was good for the relationship." There was laugher in Angela's eyes at the double nature of the statement, though she kept her voice straight.

"We talked out our difference of opinion. _That is all_."

Angela did her best to look defensive. "Hey, I'm not arguing with you. So, are you going to tell me what you fought over, or what?"

Temperance rubbed her face with her hands. "Angela, please, I'm not up for a heart to heart right now."

"You're _never_ up for a heart to heart."

"Fine, if I promise to tell you some other time, will you let this drop for now?"

"Fine. But I'm holding you to your promise!"

They pulled up at the hotel. "I'm sure you will."

* * *

And so, after Temperance had some time to clean herself up, they four headed for the restaurant. The food was good and the atmosphere was pleasant, however, despite the fact that they were all having a good time, Temperance and Booth began to feel the full weight of their lack of sleep about halfway through dinner. By the time everyone had finished and they had paid the check, they were both nearly asleep at the table.

Luckily, they had all ridden together in the SUV, so Hodgins and Angela packed the drowsy Tempe and Booth into the back seat. Angela and Hodgins went back inside for a moment, Angela because she had forgotten to grab her purse and Hodgins because he had to use the bathroom, and when they came back out, they were greeted by the sight of their friends, sound asleep in the backseat.

Angela and Hodgins smiled at one another and climbed as quietly as possible into the front seats. Apparently Temperance and Booth's inability to get a good night sleep in the car the night before had stemmed from the fact that they were in the wrong positions; now, both were sleeping peacefully. Booth was in a slumped sitting position, his legs splayed before him at a strange angle, with his face buried in the top of Tempe's hair. His arm was lazily draped around her waist, as if she were a large doll or teddy bear. As for Tempe, she was also in a semi-seated position, though inclined more to her side, and her head was comfortably resting on Booth's chest, with one of her hands resting beside her face in such a way that it was obvious she had mistaken Booth for a very large, very warm, pillow.

Angela shook her head. Booth's neck was going to be sore if he stayed in that position, but she didn't have the heart to wake them up. They way they leaned on one another was too cute to disturb.

Hodgins pulled the SUV back onto the highway, and they headed back to the hotel.

"Look at them," Angela said, quietly, as they drove. "Why can't they see that they're happiest when they're together?"

Hodgins unconsciously reached down and laced his fingers through Angela's, never taking his eyes off the road. "They're happiest when they're unconscious."

Angela stifled a laugh. "How are we going to get them together?"

"Oh, no, we're not trying that again. Look where it got us the first time; they nearly hated each other. Now they've figured out how to get along again; I say we let them figure out how to get the rest of the way there."

Angela sighed in frustration. "But they're supposed to be together!"

Hodgins voice was quiet and soothing when he replied. "Yes. I know that, you know that, Meg knows that, even _Zach_ knows that. They're smart people; they'll figure it out, too." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of her fingers. "Besides, the person you love is worth waiting for."

Angela had to smile then. "You're a good man, Jack."

"I'm better now than I used to be." They gazed into each other's eyes for a quick moment as they continued down the highway.

A short while later, Angela reluctantly roused the entwined FBI agent and anthropologist when they arrived back at the hotel. Both seemed vaguely disoriented when they woke, it seemed they hardly registered the fact that only moments before they had been wrapped around one another like vines.

After gathering everyone from the car, the four trudged upstairs to their room. Angela and Temperance headed to the bathroom to wash off their makeup while Booth and Hodgins eyed other in the main room. When the girls exited the bathroom, both were still fully dressed and standing, looking at one another.

Angela groaned. "Sleep like that for all I care, but we're turning the light off."

Booth and Hodgins looked at each other for another minute before Booth headed to the bathroom to change. When he was finished, Hodgins changed as well, and the two climbed into bed. Angela notice that they were both wearing pants and shirts with sleeves, and smiled. Boxer shorts were usually more of Hodgins' pj style, and she suspect from the way Booth was struggling to straighten out his clothes under the blanket that they were his style, too. She shook her head and dropped her eyes closed under the blanket, quickly imitating Tempe, who was already asleep.

* * *

"Tempe…hey, Tempe, wake up!" Angela whispered as she nudged Temperance in the ribs.

"Mmph…huh?"

"Check this out." Angela pointed over to the other bed, where Hodgins and Booth lay still asleep.

It was all the two could do to keep from bursting out in laughter. Booth was lying on his side with his face turned towards the girl's bed, and Hodgins was lying behind him, spooning him. Hodgins' arm was resting over Booth's side and lying, clutched with Booths, against Booth's chest.

"They look so peaceful," Temperance said, a wide, amused smile on her face.

"You want to know what's even better? When Meg brought me your clothes, she also brought me your camera."

Temperance almost squealed with delight as the two dove for the bags that Angela had brought and snapped several quick pictures of their sleeping beauties.

Eventually, Booth began to wake up. And his movement woke Hodgins.

"Mmm…morning, Sweetie," Hodgins said with his eyes clothes. He took a sniff of the back of Booth's head. "Are you wearing my cologne?" He opened his eyes. "Ange, what happened to your hair?" And, finally, reality dawned on him, just as Booth began to comprehend what was going on and the position they were in.

"AUGH!" they shrieked in unison, flying out of the bed. They got tangled in the sheets as they began to move, causing Hodgins to land with heavy _thud_ on his backside on the floor, just as Booth pitched forward, narrowly missing hitting his head on the night table.

Angela and Temperance roared in laugher. They were met by the twin glares of the newly awakened men.

"I was going to get a shower, but if you guys want to take one first…" Angela said, a large smile on her face.

"NO!" They screamed in unison. Temperance and Angela howled again. Booth shot them a menacing glare. "This _never_ leaves the room."

Temperance and Angela kept laughing. Hodgins weighed in at this point. "Angela, I swear, if you tell anyone about this, I'll…"

Angela put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. "You'll what?" she challenged.

Hodgins looked at a loss. "Please don't tell anyone?"

Temperance and Angela just laughed.

* * *

After getting over the awkwardness of the morning, the four dressed themselves for the day and decided that they desperately wanted coffee. They remembered seeing a small coffeehouse on the corner of Main Street and Maddox Blv., and considering that they were told that it was the only actually coffeehouse on the island, they decided they would head there.

When they arrived, the coffeehouse was bustling with activity. The coffeehouse was actually a shop, they learned, owned by an artist and her husband. Three people were working: a tall, slender woman with curly hair who was handling the people in the shop area, a girl of about 18 with dark blond hair who was taking orders and making change, and a brown haired girl of about 19 or 20 who was making and handing out drinks. The place was a mob scene; the line stretched almost the length of the shop to the door.

Surprisingly, the seriously busy three people seemed perky and upbeat as they worked and exchanged banter with the customers. The smell of the coffee was intoxicating, and so they decided to wait in line. It seemed that the drinks were being produced fairly quickly.

They ordered, and a short time later their drinks were ready. The girl behind the machine smiled when she handed them their beverages.

"Is it nice out there?" she asked wistfully, inclining her head toward the window.

Angela smiled at her. "Yeah, getting hot, though."

The girl nodded and looked like she was itching to be outside. Her browned skin showed she wasn't naturally an indoor person.

Temperance, Booth, Angela, and Hodgins took a drink of their various coffees and paused, looking at one another. It was perhaps the best they had ever tasted.

"Now we know why there was a line," Hodgins commented, drinking deeply from his cup. The others just nodded, but didn't speak; speaking involved taking a break from drinking.

Booth, however, was forced to break from his drink when his cell phone rang. "Booth."

"Agent Booth? This is Gary Barnett, we spoke the other day?"

Booth nodded; Gary Barnett was the police officer who was in charge of the case they were working on. "Of course, Officer Barnett. What can I do for you?"

"Well, Agent Booth, I'm sorry to say that I'm calling because one of the rangers called today. They think we have another body."

Booth froze, and the others turned to look at him. He looked into Temperance's eyes when he spoke. "Another body?" Temperance's eyes widened.

"Yes, down at the refuge. We were hoping you and the Dr. could come take a look at it. The ranger found a skull, so we're sure it must be human."

"Alright, we'll be down right away," Booth answered as he snapped his phone shut. "It has a skull," he said to Bones.

She nodded. "That's good, at least we'll have dentals."

The two walked toward the car, climbed in, and drove off to the site.

"Uh, don't worry! We can walk back to the hotel!" Hodgins called as the car moved away.

The bones were in fact human. They were partially buried, relatively close to where the first skeleton had been found.

"I don't like this," Temperance said as she pulled her gloves off.

Booth looked momentarily surprised. "Really? I thought this was your thing."

Temperance shot him a look. "I _mean_, I don't like that we found these remains so close to the first ones."

Booth nodded, and Temperance continued. "We should get a team together to search these woods. The remains were partially buried, so there could be more buried around that we missed."

Booth nodded again. He looked over at the ranger, who was waiting nearby. "Do you have some people who could help us with that?"

The kid nodded. "Sure." He pulled the radio off his waist and began to call to the other rangers.

"These bones are female," Temperance said, pulling on a new pair of gloves. "Look at this."

"Ya know, Bones, this isn't really my area…"

"This girl may have been sexually assaulted."

Booth froze. "How do you know that?"

Temperance looked up at him. "I can't say conclusively of it was before she died or after, but her pelvic bone is broken in the vaginal region. I can say, however, that it's likely that she was already dead. The break suggests that she wasn't moving when the bone broke, and the break seems to have come from pressure as opposed to quick blow. Chances are, whoever killed her was trying to force her into some sort of confined space."

Booth cringed at the thought. Temperance looked sick. "So, we're definitely dealing with a murder you think? No chance this break was caused by an animal or something?"

Temperance shook her head. "It's possible, but extremely unlikely since there are no teeth or claw marks on the bone. Also, the skull is fractured as if she was beaten, and the breaks of the bones around her neck region suggest strangulation."

Booth nodded, momentarily in awe of her brilliance. How she could look at bones and deduce so many facts never ceased to amaze him.

She continued to look at the bones. "And…we have more than one victim again."

Booth sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Shit."

Temperance just nodded, as she continued to search over the bones. "Some of the breaks are similar to those the first victim had. If I had to guess, I would say this victim was between the ages of 21 and 26 when she died. Her cranial features suggest Caucasian."

The makeshift team arrived a few moments later, and Tempe called Angela and Hodgins. She explained about the finding of the bodies and asked them if they could come help with the recovery. When Angela commented that she didn't know how to do that, Tempe replied, "it's okay. None of the other people here do either."

Angela and Hodgins arrived a short time later, and the group worked on the recovery. By 4:00, everyone was hot and tired, and Temperance announced that everyone could have a break to get some food. Grateful, everyone broke apart with the instructions to be back by 6:00.

Booth turned to Angela, Hodgins, and Temperance. "You guys want to get some more coffee?"

They all smiled, and Temperance answered. "Absolutely."

* * *

If you were thinking about reviewing, this would be the time.


	10. A New Base of Operations

Author's Note: Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I want to warn you in advance about this chapter--I just got finished with a full day of work and the last of my finals, so I was tired when I wrote it. Also, alot of it was stuff I needed to put it, but that wasn't real thrilling. I don't know much about how anthropology and everything really works, so feel free to yell at me if I screw it up. I tried to throw some stuff in for you guys to make the exposition go by quicker :-) Anyway, hope it's okay, here you go...

* * *

The four musketeers headed back to the coffeehouse on Main Street. The crowd had greatly thinned; there were only four other people, not counting employees, in the entire shop. The same three females who had served them in the morning were working, and Hodgins had a moment where he wondered how long their shifts were.

They ordered their drinks: a double espresso for Hodgins, a skinny Chai latte for Angela, an Americano for Booth, and a skinny latte for Tempe. The girl with dirty blond hair took their orders again, and smiled when she headed off to get their total. The brown haired girl behind the machine started making their drinks before she was handed the order; the drinks were ready quickly.

They wandered around the shop as they drank. The three employees busied themselves by wiping off counters, washing dishes, and straightening merchandise. The girl who had taken their order headed to the back to do something, just as a guy who looked to be about 21 or 22 came in.

Angela watched in amusement as he sauntered up the counter and placed his order with the pretty brunette. He was obviously flirting; she was obviously not interested. She asked him if he wanted anything else with his drink order, and he replied in a cocky tone, "sure. How bout your phone number?"

The girl laughed dismissively and headed to the register. The curly haired woman, who looked to be about 45 or 50, leaned over to her to speak.

Angela heard her say, "classic or unique?", and she saw the brunette smile and reply, "be creative."

Intrigued, Angela watched the next interaction. The brunette headed back to the machine where she busied herself making the boy's drink. The boy stared at her blatantly as she did so. The curly hair woman spoke.

"Hey, Abby, when's your baby due?"

Angela watched as the brunette, who was apparently named Abby, struggled not to laugh. The boy stood, shocked and staring. "Doctors say I should have it around October," the girl replied, her voice and face surprisingly straight. She handed the boy his drink, and he mumbled his thanks quickly before bolting out the door. When he was gone, Abby the curly hair woman burst into laugher.

The woman with curly hair noticed Angela looking on with amused eyes, and smiled. "You'll have to excuse us. Just our little system to deal with unwanted attention."

Angela nodded, laughing slightly as she did so. "Yeah, I understand."

"So, where are you guys from?" The curly haired woman asked. She had an accent that was a mix of Massachusetts and New York.

"D.C." Angela replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, yeah? How long are you in town for?" She pronounced "for" as if it were spelled "fo-wa".

"We're not sure, actually. We're here for work."

The woman nodded. "Well, I'm glad you could come in see us. I'm Melissa."

Angela smiled. "Angela," she said by way of response. She glanced over at the brunette, who was now ignoring the conversation, firmly engrossed in a book. The cover caught Angela's eye.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"Hmmm?" The girl said, raising her head. "Oh—a novel by Temperance Brennan. A professor I had this semester recommended it to me."

Angela smiled. "Hey, Tempe!" she called.

Temperance appeared. "Yeah?"

Angela smiled and took a sip of her drink as Abby put it together. "You're Dr. Brennan!"

Temperance looked at the girl, confused. "Yes?"

She held up the book. "I love your book. The characters are so vivid."

Temperance took a moment to register. "Oh, thank you," she said, smiling, unsure of how to respond.

The girl nodded earnestly. "I had a philosophy professor who told me to read it," she continued.

Temperance paused for a moment. A philosophy professor? Nah, it was too much of a coincidence…"Really? What was the professor's name?"

"Dr. Goode."

Angela and Temperance almost laughed. They explained the strange coincidence to the girl, and the three spent the next few minutes talking. The girl was surprisingly articulate; they later learned that this was because she was majoring in communications with plans to be a journalist. Hodgins and Booth appeared a few minutes later, as did the third employee from the back, and the seven spent a few minutes in lighthearted chat, after which Hodgins, Angela, Temperance, and Booth left.

They piled into their cars and headed back to the hotel. When they arrived, Temperance stood outside and called Meg.

"Hey," Tempe said when her friend answered. "I just met one of your students. She told me you recommended my book to her."

Meg thought for a minute. "Oh—Abby Stevenson. Where did you see her?"

Temperance explained the situation and the two talked for a few minutes more.

"So, how did it go with Zach last night?"

Temperance heard Meg almost groan. "It was unbelievable. He bought a girl a drink and then spent the next fifteen minutes talking to her about the pH balance of alcohol. I thought she was going to fall off her seat from boredom."

Temperance laughed. "So, you're giving up?"

Meg sounded defiant. "No way! He's a nice guy, I'm sure there's a way to make him better at this stuff."

Tempe laughed again, and once again wished her good luck, before clicking off the phone. She was heading up to the room when it rang again in her hand. She glanced at the ID. Brian. She paused, answered quickly, and told him that she was stuck on Chincoteague for a while. She told him she would call him later because she was in the middle of something. He seemed to accept this, though with unveiled disappointment, and they hung up.

* * *

The group, minus Angela, headed back to the site at 5:45. Angela was going to find some take-out food and bring it back to the hotel for everyone. Booth, Hodgins, and Tempe arrived back at the site a few minutes before the rest of their ragtag crew.

They worked until it was dark, and then told everyone they were free to go home for the night. Temperance had gathered a few more bones, some that she was sure went with the skeletons she already had, though there were a few that seemed out of place. She would know more fully when she had time to work with the remains. The three gathered their things, told the park rangers to keep the area sealed, and headed back to the hotel. Booth would go to the police station and gather missing person's records tomorrow.

Angela had bought Chinese food, and they ate hungrily. When they were finished, they took turns in the bathroom, and soon it was time to go to bed. Hodgins and Booth both stared at one another. Then, Hodgins moved and placed his arm firmly around Angela's waist.

"I think I'll sleep with Angela tonight," he said, as if the idea had just come to him.

Booth nodded, thinking only about the fact that this meant he wouldn't be sleeping with Hodgins; he neglected to think that this meant he was sleeping with Temperance.

He realized it quickly however, when Temperance stood beside him. "Oh," he said, suddenly feeling awkward. Hodgins and Angela were already snuggled under the covers; they couldn't quite see the way Angela was staring and grinning as she watched.

She just shrugged. What were their options? No other rooms were available yet. They climbed into bed, both extremely careful not to get to close to the middle, and turned out the light.

* * *

Booth woke around 3:00am. His groggy mind registered a warm body, smelling vaguely of fresh scented soap and the ocean, pulled tightly against him. Even in his sleepy haze, he knew the smell of Bones. His Bones. He wondered for a moment why she was lying so close to him; she was on her side and he was spooning her, much as Hodgins had been spooning him the night before. His face was buried in her hair, his mouth close to her ear. A moment later, he figured out why they were lying so close together. They were all the way on her side of the bed—apparently she hadn't moved much during the night—and his arms were clutching tightly around her waist, molding her to him. It was the closest he had ever been to Bones. He smiled, sadly. The only reason he was this close even now was because she was unaware of him. He tightened his arms, and kissed the exposed skin where her hair had fallen away, between her ear and her hair line. She slept on, unaware, and his tiredness took over, as he was reluctantly pulled from awareness.

* * *

Angela awoke first in the morning, and the first thing she did was look over at the bed where Temperance and Booth lay sleeping. She felt disappointed. Their sheets were in disarray, so obviously they had moved in their sleep during the night, but they were lying on opposite sides of the bed, not touching. She sighed, wondering why the two of them just couldn't get it together. Somehow she had thought that if they woke up in each others arms, they would realize how right they were for each other. Okay, so it was a little fairy tale-ish, but that didn't stop Angela from hoping. She sighed and headed to get the first shower.

The rest of the group awoke slowly and showered and dressed as well. They headed back to the coffeehouse for morning beverages. The curly haired woman had been replaced by a more heavy-set woman who looked to be about 55 or 60, but the other two girls were working again. They got their drinks, exchanged some quick morning banter, and headed off.

Booth and Angela dropped Hodgins and Temperance off at the refuge. Since they were the two members of the group who were actually trained to do recoveries, it had seemed logical. Angela rode with Booth to the police station to work on getting missing person's reports. She was good with people and had good instincts, so Booth had been happy to let her come along.

The Chincoteague police department was a small operation, but there were still a few hoops to jump through before Booth and Angela could get the information they wanted. After a while, they managed to get to the right person who, supposedly, could get them what they needed.

Booth handed the haggard looking man the information Temperance had given him. He accepted it, gruffly, and began working on pulling up information.

The search criteria Temperance had provided had been fairly vague, but even with this fact Booth hadn't expected to have so many results. The computer pulled up name after name, and finally Booth had to speak up.

"All of these people went missing from this little island?"

The officer regarded him with boredom. "Most of them aren't local." He shrugged. "Kids ages 16-23 run away all the time; their looking for freedom or something. So, family takes a vacation, the kid sees an opening, and bolts. It happens more than you'd think."

"Obviously," Angela said quietly as she watched the names fill the screen.

Eventually, Booth and Angela had a thick stack of information. "Anything else you can give us? Any history of a sudden spike in missing persons or anything that would suggest a killer working the area?"

The officer shrugged. "It ebbs and flows."

Angela felt herself grow irritated with the officer's bored attitude. These were _people_, and most of them were just kids. How could he be so calm? A glance at Booth showed he was having similar thoughts.

The officer's eyes brightened for a moment, remembering. "Oh, wait. We did have one thing, a couple of years back. A couple of girls went missing. We still don't know if the cases were related, but one was found. She had been raped and killed, though we weren't sure in what order. Some sick bastard shoved her in a trash bag and left her near the marsh. Never caught the guy."

"DNA?" Booth queried.

"Didn't leave any. I have no idea how that's possible, but that's what I was told. Girl's name was Hannah something." He clicked a few strokes on the computer and a few minutes later the ancient printer groaned out another sheet. The officer added it to Booth's stack. Booth and Angela thanked him and left.

It was about 1:30 when Booth and Angela were finished, so they headed back to the site where they found Temperance and Hodgins still hard at work.

Hodgins stopped what he was doing and approached them when they arrived. Temperance continued what she was doing.

"Found the remains of one more person. We think the extra bones we found yesterday go with them, though."

"Which brings the grand total to what?" Booth asked.

"Including the first things you found? One boy, three girls, and one old lady."

Temperance approached then. "What did you guys find?"

Angela and Booth went through their day as Hodgins and Tempe listened.

After they were finished, Hodgins spoke. "I'm going to need a lab to work on the soil samples."

Booth nodded. "I'll call around. Maybe NASA has some facilities we can use."

* * *

NASA did, in fact, have facilities that would work, and after going through a lot of authorization with Cullen and the FBI, Booth had secured the location. The bodies could be sent their as well; Booth wondered for a moment why a space center could double as a morgue, but pushed the thought away. Who cared? They had a base for operations now.

The group headed to the base around 6:00pm, after everything had been worked out and transported. Hodgins and Temperance were busily working on setting things up for their work, while Booth and Angela looked on. There wasn't much they could do yet. Once things were ready to go, Hodgins and Temperance dove into their work. Temperance began sorting bones why Hodgins studied miniscule specks of dust under a microscope. Angela moved over to where Tempe was standing and began studying the bones, making notes. Any information could be useful when she was trying to recreate what the victim looked like later. With nothing really to do, Booth sighed and dropped to a nearby table, where he began studying the files he had received that morning.

The four worked steadily for hours, making comments to one another as things caught their attention. By 10:30pm, they were all tired. They decided to call it a night. Temperance had made some good progress with the bones, and they had been able to narrow down some of the files. Facial reconstruction would help immensely. They packaged a few things, prepared to send a few things off for further analysis, and finally headed back to the hotel.

When they arrived, the old man who had met Temperance and Booth on the first night was working again. "Good news!" he said in a merry voice when he spotted the group. "Another room is open. It's yours, if you want it."

"We want it," the group said quickly. Sharing one bathroom was getting old.

The room had two beds in it, just like the first room, though it was a floor higher. After some deliberation, Angela and Hodgins decided to take one room while Tempe and Booth took the other. They worked out the payment of the room, the keys, and moving of their stuff, before ordering a quick dinner and retreating to their rooms.

Booth eyed Temperance as they settled in that night to go to sleep. She still had no idea about how he had held her the night before; he, on the other hand, had thought about it all day. It was so comfortable to have her near him. He had felt like he was at home.

They said goodnight to one another, each dropping into a separate bed. _'She's a work associate,'_ he said to himself as he watched her close her eyes. _'That's it.'_

He knew this wasn't true. He knew she was slowly beginning to creep into his thoughts more and more often. He knew she meant more to him than just a colleague. He sighed. What was happening here?

She opened one eye and caught him staring at her. "Can't sleep?"

He smiled tightly. "No. You either?"

She smiled. "Not really."

He was infected by her conspiratorial smile and felt it spreading to his face. He knew she was remembering their night in the car, how they had talked all night long. He mentally shook his head. Only she could make a night were they had talked, not even facing one another, seem sexy.

They fell into an easy conversation, and eventually Booth left his bed and sat beside her on hers. His sheets were barely moved; he hadn't laid on them long enough. Sometime, in the middle of the night, she grew quiet and he heard her breathing slow. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to kiss her head, but he didn't. He just rose, crossed over back to his bed, and struggled to fall asleep.

* * *

I like reviews. Hope this wasn't too terrible.


	11. Him, or Her, or Them

Author's Note: Thanks again for all the great reviews. I know you guys really want me to make them sleep together...well, not exactly _sleep_, but anyway...and I just wanted to assure you that yes, I do have a plan. Be patient. :-) There is a method to the madness. If I got them together, what would be your insentive to keep reading? Hmmm? That's what I thought. :-) Anyway, hope you like this one, off you go...

* * *

Morning arrived far too early for the three squints and the FBI agent at the hotel in Chincoteague. Temperance woke up around 7:30am, and a quick glance toward Booth's bed confirmed that he was still asleep. Temperance studied him for a moment; his sheets were tangled and wrapped around his legs, and the bedspread had slid to the floor at some point during the night. His head was beside his pillow instead of on top of it, and his arms were splayed out above his head. Temperance smiled slightly. He looked comical lying in complete disarray. She shook her head as she rose and headed to the bathroom. It looked like he had had a rough night.

She showered quickly and brushed her teeth. Then, she dressed and headed back into the main room, where Booth, who was now awake, sat on his bed, watching the morning news.

"Morning," she said, as she used the towel to dry her hair.

He turned his head and smiled in her direction. "Morning," he replied. She told him the bathroom was open if he wanted it, and he rose and headed in to get dressed for the day.

Angela knocked on the door just after Booth's shower ended, and Tempe opened it to allow her and Hodgins to walk in. Angela immediately noted that both beds were unmade. She groaned.

"You slept in separate beds?"

Temperance looked at her in confused surprise. "Yeah…"

Angela sighed in frustration. "What is the DEAL with you two!"

Temperance rolled her eyes. "So, are you guys ready to head back to NASA?"

Booth appeared from the bathroom then, still damp from the shower, his face half covered in shaving cream, with a razor in his hand. "We can't go back to NASA today," he said.

The three turned to him. "Why not?" Temperance asked.

He gave a half shrug. "It's Sunday. They won't let us work on Sundays."

Temperance groaned. "Can't you explain to them that this is an FBI case and we need to work on it?"

Booth replied while looking in the bathroom mirror, working on his shaving. "Sorry, Bones. You guys said the remains had been on the refuge for more than six months. We can't say that we are pursuing getting the ID of a specific missing person, and the FBI hasn't given the nod to make this case a top priority. That means the case isn't immediate enough for us to break their rules. I checked it out yesterday."

Temperance sighed heavily as she dropped onto the bed. "So, what are we going to do now?"

Booth was finished shaving, and he walked out of the bathroom, using a towel to wipe the leftover shaving cream off his face. "Sightsee? Head to the beach?"

"Shop?" Angela interjected. Now it was Hodgins' turn to groan.

"Doesn't really matter," Booth said. "We can do whatever we want. We just can't work with the remains."

Angela smiled at Hodgins. "Well, we're going shopping. I want to check out the art galleries."

Hodgins sighed. "Fine. But you're buying me coffee."

Angela smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door as Tempe and Booth followed. "Great. That's the first place I wanted to go anyway."

* * *

The fantastic four arrived a short time later at the Main Street coffeehouse. The two young girls from the past two days were working once again, though this time they were working with a slight woman who looked to be about 60, with white blond hair.

"Do you two ever get a day off?" Hodgins asked after they had placed their orders.

The girls laughed. "Once in a while," they replied.

Temperance and Booth accepted their drinks, and then announced that they were going to walk around the island for a while. Hodgins looked like he wanted to go with them, and Angela relented. They made quick plans to meet her in an hour or two.

Angela began wandering around, admiring the art that hung on the walls. "Who's the artist who does these? Are they local?" she asked, as she moved from painting to painting.

The white-blond woman spoke then. "Actually, some of them are by my daughter, Helena Jessup. And some of them are mine."

Angela turned to the woman. "They're amazing. Do you own the shop?"

The woman smiled. "My husband and I do. I'm Kate Ribald."

Angela spoke to the woman for a few more minutes. She was kind, but in a way intimidating. The girls behind the counter worked, talking to one another and laughing occasionally. "Well, you have a great place here," Angela said, her eyes scanning the room.

"Well, thank you, we have good help," she smiled in a grandmotherly sort of way and looked over at the two young girls who were busily working in the coffee bar.

Angela and Kate continued to talk, and it soon came out that Angela was an artist as well. Kate seemed intrigued when Angela explained her current job.

"I read Temperance Brennan's book," Kate said, after they had been talking for a while. "I'd love to actually meet her, and I'm sure Charlie would, too." Angela had learned a few minutes earlier that Charlie was Kate's husband. "We should all get together for dinner one night."

Angela smiled, saying that that sounded like a fine idea. Kate seemed intimidating and a bit strange, but Angela was intrigued by her. They exchanged phone numbers and Angela left.

While Angela was meeting Kate Ribald, Hodgins, Temperance, and Booth were wandering down the street, talking about the case.

"All the remains were left in the same general area on the refuge, and all of the bones seemed to have common features in terms of breaks. That suggests that the same person or persons is responsible," Temperance said as they walked.

"And the earliest remains I found so far had been there for at least two years. Some of them have probably been there longer," Hodgins added.

Booth took a moment to think before he spoke. "So you're suggesting that the killer put the bodies there at different times? The refuge is just a dump for him?"

"Or her. Or them," Temperance corrected. "We don't have enough evidence to make conclusive statements."

"But it is safe to say that all the remains weren't placed there at the same time. I haven't had much time to examine the soil, but I did compare two samples and I can definitely say there were differences. Some of the remains had been there longer," Hodgins stated.

"So, the killer must be someone who worked the area for a while. Probably a local who lives here," Booth said.

"Or killers," Temperance corrected again. "And just because the remains were taken to the site at different times doesn't mean they didn't all die at the same time. Maybe the killer transported some of the bodies down later. He might not be from here; maybe he took trophies and then brought them back later."

"Or she. Or them," Booth corrected, with a mischievous smile. "And why would someone take some of the remains as trophies, leave others, and then come back years later to dump the rest of the remains in the same location as the first ones?"

"Maybe he freaked out because he thought he was going to get caught. Maybe it was for some kind of sick closure," Hodgins offered.

"Well, if he was freaked, why not just dump the bones somewhere else? If the remains are scattered it would be harder to catch him," Booth pointed out.

"Or her. Or them." Booth rolled his eyes at Temperance's correction. She continued, unaware of his reaction. "Just because it makes logical sense to us doesn't mean it would ring true in the mind of a murderer. Maybe he felt safe with his first dump site since he never got caught."

"Or she. Or them," Booth added.

Hodgins groaned. "Would you two _please_ stop doing that!"

Temperance smiled. "Sorry."

"Can you tell from the bones when the victims died?" Booth asked.

"I can give a general range, but if the bones have been moved my estimates might be off. Different conditions lead to different wear on the bones."

Booth nodded. "Well, assume all the remains were placed on the refuge shortly after the victims died. Could you say if the people died at different times?"

"If all the remains were placed on the refuge immediately or shortly after death, then the wear shows that the victims died at different times," Temperance said.

Booth nodded, a triumphant smile on his face. "So, there you go. More than likely a local."

Temperance frowned. "Not necessarily." Booth sighed heavily, but she continued anyway. "Just because all the victims didn't die at the same time does rule out other options. The killer or killers might stay here in the summer, or even just take one week vacations here once a year. The remains just suggest that the killer made more than one trip to Chincoteague. They don't suggest that the killer actually lived here. And we still don't have ID's on the victims; they might no even be from this area."

"So, you're saying the killer might have no real direct connection with the island at all?" Booth asked.

"Well, considering he ditched his victims here, I'd say he has _some_ connection…" Hodgins commented.

Temperance spoke then. "This is a tourist town. He could be from anywhere."

"Or she. Or them," Booth said. Hodgins groaned loudly.

* * *

They met back up with Angela a short time later. After talking for a few minutes about meeting Kate Ribald and informing everyone that they were going to have dinner with her and husband at some point, Angela grabbed Hodgins' hand and pulled. "C'mon," she said. "We only have one day off, and I want to shop."

Hodgins looked at Booth and Temperance, obviously looking for an escape. Angela noticed his forlorn look. "No way, Dirt Dude. You're stuck with me." And with that she pulled him away, shooting a smile over her shoulder at Tempe as she did so.

Booth smiled, turning to Tempe. "Well, Bones, I guess we're on our own. What are you up for?"

Tempe shrugged. "Well, since I'm not going to be able to make any progress on the case, I guess I should work on my book. My editor's been on me about it for a while now."

He nodded. He should have figured she would find some productive way to spend her free time.

She noticed his disappointed expression, and instantly felt the urge to make him feel better. "Why don't we go to a movie, and then later on we can go to the beach and I can work on my book?"

His face brightened. "Do I get to read it?"

She smiled. His eyes sparkled with a boyish fervor. "When it's published."

He looked disappointed for a short moment, but then lazily draped his arm around her shoulders and steered her down the street toward the one screen theatre. There was a show starting soon. "If you don't let me read it, I'll steal it when you're asleep."

Though his arm around her shoulders felt comfortable, she felt her pulse begin to race. "You wouldn't do that."

He smiled, and then added, quietly enough that she couldn't hear him, "you have no idea what I do when you're asleep."

* * *

The only movie that was playing that day contained CGI characters that were talking animals, but, although it was obviously a children's movie, Booth and Tempe decided to see it anyway. Booth bought Tempe's ticket, claiming it was repayment for all the late nights and sleep deprivation, and after a small argument, she relented. They entered the dark, air conditioned theatre and sunk into the worn seats. There were a few other people in attendance, but most of the families with children on the island were on the beach. The movie began, and soon Tempe and Booth found themselves convulsing with laugher at the juvenile situations on the screen.

Tempe couldn't remember ever having so much fun at a kid's movie. Even when she was a child herself she had found the stories immature and pointless. But today, it felt different. She tried to tell herself it was because this movie was simply better than the ones that had been around when she was a kid, but she knew the real reason she was having fun was because of the FBI agent sitting beside her, laughing uproariously, and throwing popcorn into the air before catching it in his mouth. It was a playful side of Booth that she had never really experienced before, and she found it oddly endearing. She could only imagine what a great dad he was to Parker; any man who was secure enough with himself to admit he liked a kid's movie had to be fun for a kid to hang around with.

Tempe didn't realize that, just as her laugher was being fueled by Booth, Booth's laughter was being fueled by her. On several occasions he found himself ignoring the movie and staring at her instead. At the way her shoulders moved when she was seized with laughter; the motion of her mouth when she repeated something a character said or made a sarcastic comment; the way her eyes sparkled when she was allowed to release the childish emotions she normally kept so carefully under control. He felt his heart warm every time he saw her smile. She intoxicated him.

And so, they passed two hours in meaningless fun, fueling each other's laughter, making side remarks to the action on the screen. When the movie was over, both found that their cheeks and sides were vaguely sore from the strain of laughter. As they exited the theatre, Tempe couldn't help but remember her date with Brian. It seemed like a million years ago. They had seen a movie as well, and she had laughed easily with him, but she knew it was different with Booth. With Booth, she hadn't felt self-conscious. She had felt…free. She smiled. She had enjoyed the feeling. She noted, with a touch of sadness, however, that, unlike Brian, when she and Booth left the theatre, he made no move to hold her hand.

'_I don't have feelings for him. I don't have feelings for him,'_ she chanted in her brain, over and over again. _'I don't want to have feelings for him. I can't have feelings for him. I won't have feelings for him.'_

Angela called while they were walking. "Brennan."

"What are you guys doing this afternoon?" she asked, her tone exasperated.

"Going to the beach," Temperance answered. Booth looked over at her. "Angela," she mouthed to him, and he nodded by way of response.

Angela sighed. "I hate to do this, because I'm sure you and Booth want some time alone to make out or whatever it is you do when you're together, but do you care if Hodgins and I go with you? He's driving me crazy, as so I figure it'll be easier to kill him and dispose of the body if we work as a team."

Temperance smiled. "Sure, you guys can come," she said, ignoring Angela's comment about her and Booth. "We'll meet you at the hotel."

"Hodgins driving her crazy?" Booth asked once she had hung up the phone.

Temperance laughed. "Yeah. You better watch her, or she'll freak out and kill your boyfriend."

Booth tried to look irritated, but stopped when he found that she was laughing at him. He smiled and reached down, threading his fingers through hers. The move hasn't been something he thought about beforehand, and it surprised him slightly. What surprised him a bit more, however, was the fact that, even though he though he heard her breath catch when he touched her, she didn't pull away.

And so, with hands firmly enjoined, Booth and Temperance walked down the street in silence, headed for the hotel.

* * *

Reviews rock.


	12. Tammy and Vince

Author's Note: Thanks again for all the amazing reviews, you guys are great. In this chapter, when Angela is talking to Tempe, you will notice that Angela "quotes" something and Tempe comments that she sounds like Meg. The quote is an actual quote by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I included it because it's one of my favorites, so if you hate it...well, there's really not much I can do about it, but I hope you don't hate it all the same. :-) Also, just so you know, if I go through with what I'm planning, I'm probably going to change the rating of this story to M. As always, if anyone isn't cool with this, let me know. I can be reasonable when I want to be. :-) Hope you like this one...

* * *

They arrived at the hotel a few minutes later, and quickly set about changing their clothes and gathering a few things for the beach. They met Angela and Hodgins a few minutes later.

They headed to the beach, and found it to be hot and crowded. They found a patch of sand on which to spread out the sheet they had brought, and quickly shoved the beach umbrella they had only just bought into the sand. They sat for a while, talking, pretending they weren't at the beach because at least five people were dead. Eventually, Hodgins announced that he was hot and was going swimming. Booth nodded at him vaguely, but was already dropping into an afternoon nap; the roar of the ocean was infinitely soothing.

"And _we_ are going for a walk," Angela announced, speaking to Tempe. "C'mon, let's go."

Tempe shrugged. She didn't really feel like working on the book, and a walk on the beach seemed nice. She knew that Angela wasn't as interested in walking as she was in finding out about what had been happening with Booth, but Tempe didn't really mind. When he held her hand today, she had realized that their relationship was shifting; having someone else's opinion could be helpful.

And so, they started walking. As soon as they were out of earshot of Booth, Angela began talking. "Okay, today's the day. You promised me a heart to heart, and now it's time to follow through on your promise."

Tempe sighed. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

Angela was a bit surprised at how easy it was to get Tempe to agree to the conversation. "Start with the fights."

And so, Tempe began. She told her about the night in the hallway with Brian and Meg; she told her about Booth thinking she slept with Brian; she told her about Booth staying in her house the night she had slept at the office. Angela listened, almost too stunned to speak, as the words tumbled out of Temperance.

They walked for a long time while Tempe talked, and eventually they arrived at a spot on the beach where there were no other people. They sat down in the sand to continue their conversation.

When Tempe grew quiet, Angela spoke. "Sweetie," she said, unsure of what to say.

Temperance sighed. "That's not all, Ange…" Her eyes drifted out over the ocean for a moment, before she looked down at the sand and continued. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Tempe closed her eyes for a second, and then shook her head. She then told Angela about all the times they had come close to kissing, about staying up all night talking, and about the movie. "Something's changing," she said, softly. "I know that after today."

Angela's head was spinning. "You have feelings for him," she said, simply.

Temperance stood up suddenly, pacing. "God, Ange, this isn't me! I don't want this!" She paused, pressing a hand to her forehead as she closed her eyes. "I don't know what to do."

"Maybe you need to give it a shot with him, to try it and find out."

Temperance sighed. "He's my _work partner_. It's not like he's just some random guy. I have to see him constantly. And, on top of that, I technically already have a boyfriend."

"So?"

Tempe paused and looked at her friend. "You're suggesting I cheat on Brian?"

Angela shrugged. "What is done for love occurs beyond good and evil."

Temperance smiled, recognizing the quote. "You've been talking to Meg."

Angela nodded, smiling. "Listen, I'm not suggesting you cheat on Brian. What I am suggesting is that you break up with him. You're in love with someone else."

Temperance sighed. "I'm not in love with Booth."

Angela nodded. "Yeah, I know you're not." She paused for a second, and then looked up into Tempe's face. "But you could be. And that's what scares you."

Temperance looked away. "I don't want this," she said again. She sighed, once again closing her eyes.

Angela wasn't used to seeing her friend like this. "This isn't the kind of thing you plan, Sweetie. It just happens; it's not something you can control."

"Exactly!" Temperance exclaimed. She resumed pacing as Angela stood. "What is wrong with me? Why is this happening?"

Angela smiled. _'You've met the person you would die for, the person who can tear your barriers away. The person your soul needs in order to be whole. And it scares the hell out of you.'_ "Nothings wrong with you. You're experiencing emotions that make you feel like you don't have control, and it scares you." Angela shrugged. "It's normal."

Temperance sighed as they resumed walking back in the direction from which they had come. Angela spoke a few minutes later. "Just go with it, Tempe. See where it leads you."

* * *

That night, Temperance and Booth sat in their hotel room at the small table in the corner. The table was now covered in files and papers of information that could be relevant to their case. They had been working for a few hours, and still Temperance hadn't been able to get Angela's nagging voice out of her head. After they had left the beach, the four of them had grabbed a light dinner before retiring back to the hotel. Temperance had been anxious to do something relevant to the case, and so the FBI agent and anthropologist had thrown themselves headlong into the stack of reports.

Temperance was able to throw out a few, based simply on factors she had seen in the bones already, but overall there wasn't much she could rule out at this point. She sighed, frustrated. "We're getting nowhere."

"We will," Booth said, his voice sleepy. "But not tonight. It's time to sleep."

Temperance nodded. She was tired herself. They rose from the table and took turns changing, before they clicked off the light and dropped to sleep.

* * *

The next day, after the now routine coffee run, the group returned to their makeshift lab at NASA where they set to work on the remains. They worked steadily for a few hours, before there was a break.

"This victim broke two of her ribs when she was a child," Temperance announced, pouring over one set of bones. She told Booth which two. He quickly made a note, and began using the computer to search the files.

"Which set of remains are these? How long had they been at the site?" He asked, as he clicked. Angela and Hodgins watched with interest. They could have their first victim.

"Two years. The same length of time as the boy's bones we found," Temperance said, her eyes scanning the remains.

Booth was able to pull up a few files that fit Temperance's description. An hour later, they had managed to go through them all, and Temperance announced, "we have it, guys. Our first victim. Meet Tamara Livingstone."

"Tamara," Angela repeated, as they all stared. "How old was she?"

Booth's eyes scanned the screen. "Disappeared when she was 17. According to a statement from her parents, she left one day to pick something up from the drugstore and never came back. Last sighting of her was between 12:30 and 1:00pm. She was a local."

"She disappeared in the middle of the day?" Hodgins asked.

Booth shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. That was just the last sighting of her; anything could have happened after that."

They group stared at the pile of bones that had once been a living girl. "The decomp and dirt suggest that she didn't live very long after she disappeared."

Booth nodded. Angela looked up at him. "What now?"

"Now, we go find Mr. and Mrs. Livingstone," Booth answered. He looked at Tempe, who nodded and pulled off her gloves.

* * *

Booth and Tempe headed to the car, telling Angela and Hodgins that they would be back soon. They drove to the address that was included in the file, and soon found themselves sitting in front of a small house near a campground on the far end of the island.

Booth knocked on the door, glancing over at Bones as he did so. Her face was stoic. He didn't bother to tell her to be careful with how much she revealed to these people. She had done this enough now that she was careful to respect the emotions of the parents, even though the parents were potential suspects.

The door was soon answered, and a heavyset man in shorts and a loose fitting tee shirt greeted them. He looked confused when he saw them standing on his front step.

"What can I do for ya?" he asked.

Booth gave him a tight smile, and quickly flashed his badge. "I'm Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan. We'd like to talk to you for a few minutes regarding the disappearance of your daughter."

The color instantly drained from the man's face. "What's going on? Did you find her?"

"Can we please come inside, Mr. Livingstone?"

The look of fear on the man's face didn't fade as he nodded and stepped to the side, granting them entry.

The house, put nicely, was modestly furnished. The furniture was tattered and worn, and the walls and carpets were obviously old and stained with years of life and cigarette smoke. Most of the decorations didn't match each other, and Temperance almost instantly noticed that there were still a few Christmas decorations sitting out, despite the fact that Christmas had been nearly six months ago.

Booth and Temperance sat down on the couch after Mr. Livingstone motioned for them to do so. "May we ask where Mrs. Livingstone is today?" Booth asked, his tone gentle. The man was oddly endearing in a messy sort of way.

"She moved out," he said. "Went to Vegas. After Tammy took off, it just didn't suit her to stay around here. She never much cared for it."

Booth nodded. "Mr. Livingstone, I'm very sorry to inform you that your daughter's remains were found a few days ago at the Refuge."

The man froze for a moment, and then gave them a strange smile. "No. No they weren't. You're wrong. Tammy isn't dead."

Booth felt bad for the man as he saw him stand. "I'm sorry, sir."

"No!" Mr. Livingstone nearly shouted. "You must have gotten something wrong. My Tammy isn't dead. My baby isn't dead!"

Temperance spoke then. "It's her, Mr. Livingstone. We're sure."

"NO!" the man shouted. Then he fell back into his chair, burying his face in his hands. "My baby…my baby…" he repeated over and over, as he began to sob.

After a few minutes, Booth cleared his throat and spoke again. "Sir, if it's at all possible, is there anything you can tell us about Tammy? Anything that might help us find who did this to her?"

The man looked up, his face swollen and red. "I thought she ran off with her boyfriend. Her and her mom never got along. Paula hated her boyfriend. Tammy always said she was going to run away with him. I guess when she went missing I imaged she had run off with him."

"What was his name?" Temperance asked, her brain immediately remembering the skeleton of the boy that had been buried as long as Tammy.

"Vince Greogory," he said, his voice shaky and weary. "Good kid. Tammy was crazy about him." He began to sob again.

Tempe and Booth rose from their seats. "We're very sorry, Mr. Livingstone. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us." Booth pulled out a card. "If you think of anything else, please call me at this number."

The distraught man barely seemed to register Booth's words. Booth left the card on a nearby table, and he and Tempe walked back to the waiting SUV. After climbing in, they headed back toward their NASA makeshift morgue.

* * *

After arriving, they quickly filled Angela and Hodgins in on what had happened. Temperance then began pouring over the boy's remains as Booth pulled up the file on Vincent Greogory. Temperance studied the bones and Booth read through the facts and medical history. Everything seemed to check out. By 7:30pm, Temperance had announced that they had the name of their second victim that day; the male remains they had found were Vincent Greogory, age 20, who had last been seen between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00am the same day his girlfriend went missing.

"Vince was a football player," Hodgins said as his eyes scanned the file. "It says here he weighed over 200 lbs. He would have been hard to overpower. And he was last seen in the morning, when it was light out. Any struggle, especially between him and someone strong enough to overpower him would have had to be noticed."

Temperance started at Vince's bones. The facts did seem troubling.

"Maybe he knew the person who killed him," Angela offered. "Maybe there wasn't a struggle and he just went with them."

"Even then," Booth said, "he would have been tough to kill later. He had to be knocked out or subdued at some point or he would have put up a hell of a fight."

Temperance just stared at the remains. _'What happened to you, Vince?'_ she thought. _'Why would someone kill you and your girlfriend?'_ "He went missing the same day his girlfriend did. They talked about running away together; whoever killed them had a plan. They knew to get them at the same time."

Angela nodded. "But why would you want to kill a couple of kids?"

No one had an answer to that question.

They worked for a while longer on the other sets of remains, but the events of the day had left everyone worn out. Booth announced that he and Bones would head to Vince's parent's house the next day to see if there was any information they could gain. At 8:30 they decided to leave and head back to the hotel. On the way, Angela mentioned that Kate Ribald had called. They were having dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Ribald on Wednesday.

And so, after a long day, the three squints and one FBI agent ate a quick dinner of sandwiches and chips from a nearby Subway, and then retired to their rooms.

Booth and Temperance didn't talk very much as they prepared for bed. Tempe cast a sideways glance at the still overflowing table in the corner of the room, and sighed. The sight made her wonder what her desk at the Jeffersonian was beginning to look like. Hopefully Zach was handling things alright; Goodman hadn't called, so she assumed there wasn't a problem.

She gave Meg a quick call before she went to bed. Booth was taking a fast shower.

"Hey, Tempe, how's everything going?" Meg asked when she heard Tempe's voice on the phone.

Temperance explained the case to her, and about how they were starting to pull at threads. After a few minutes, Tempe asked, "so, how are things going with Zach? Is he making any progress?"

Meg sighed. "He's unbelievable. I've never met anyone who was worse with women, or people in general, for that matter."

Tempe sighed. "Giving up yet?"

"Not on your life. I swear this kid will have a girlfriend before I go home."

Tempe laughed, and the two talked for a few more minutes before saying goodnight. Tempe hung up her cell and stuck it back in her bag as Booth stepped out of the bathroom.

He was still damp from the shower water, and Tempe noticed that his tee shirt stuck slightly to his damp arms. He smiled at her and he crawled under the covers.

"Night, Bones," he said.

She smiled at her nickname as she curled under her own blankets. "Night, Booth."

* * *

Feel free to review


	13. Another Body

Author's Note: Lucky chapter thirteen! Thanks once again for all the reviews, they're great. From the responses I got, no one had a problem with upping the rating on this story, so I'm going to go ahead and change it, even though there won't be an M rated chapter until later. Hope you like this one! Go ahead and read now.

* * *

The next morning, after going through the daily routines of showers, teeth brushing, and coffee, Hodgins and Angela headed to NASA to get back to work on the remains while Booth and Temperance headed to the address for Vince's parent's house, which they had obtained from his file. The house was small and quaint, resting on a postage stamp sized lot. Unlike the Livingstone house, the building and surrounding yard were tended and well kept. The house was in no way impressive, but it had a certain quiet dignity.

Booth rapped on the door three times in quick succession. "Remember, Bones, these people just lost their son. Try to be gentle."

Temperance shot him a look. Booth smiled in apology. "Sorry, you know that," he said.

The door opened a few minutes later, and a woman in denim shorts and a loose fitting grey tank top stood before them. "Hello, can I help you?"

Temperance smiled at the woman, her heart sinking a bit. She hated this. Working with bones was easier; she didn't have to see the looks of devastation. She could pretend that people lives weren't being torn apart. Bones were a puzzle; dealing with people was too real.

"Hello, Mrs. Greogory, my name is Seeley Booth, I'm an agent with the FBI. This is Dr. Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian in D.C.," he flashed his badge. "Is Mr. Greogory home? We have some information concerning the disappearance of your son."

The woman stood still, her eyes scanning slowly over the pair. "Vince? You know where Vince is?"

Booth cleared his throat. "Is your husband home, Mrs. Greogory?"

She nodded, pushing the door open to allow them to come in. "Hank!" she called as the retreated into the house, her eyes never leaving the advancing agent and anthropologist. "Some people are here to see us."

Booth allowed Temperance to walk in first, and then followed her into the house. "Please, sit down," the woman said, her discomfort evident. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you, Mrs. Greogory," Temperance answered as she and Booth sat down.

A man in tattered jeans, his middle softened by age, entered the room a few minutes later. His white tee shirt was dirty and streaked with oil and grease. He wiped his black-tinged hands a small red rag. He gave the two new presences in his home a polite nod. "Hank Greogory. Sorry about the mess," he said, gesturing to himself. "I was changing the oil in the truck. What can I do for ya'll?"

"They say they have information about Vince," his wife said, her voice unsure, as she sunk into a chair.

Hank Greogory stiffened. The grip on his rag tightened and his knuckles turned white. His gaze locked on the two people on his couch. "Vince? You found him? Is he alright?"

Booth and Temperance sat quietly for a moment. Before they could speak, Mrs. Greogory said, "what kind of doctor are you, Dr. Brennan?" Her voice was low and her eyes were downcast.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist."

The woman nodded as she repeated "forensic" under her breath.

Hank Greogory held himself a bit straighter. "Why are you here?" his tone was almost hostile. In her chair, his wife's shoulders began to tremble slightly with silent tears.

"Sir, your son's body was found a few days ago on the Refuge," Booth said, doing his best to soften the words, as if pronouncing them gentler would make the situation less real.

Mrs. Greogory hickuped a sob, and Hank spoke, his voice dry and hoarse with emotion. "His body?"

"Yes, sir," Booth answered.

The two people, now the parents of a dead boy, stood suspended for a moment in time. The dirty red rag slipped from Hank's hand and fluttered to the floor without a sound; he didn't seem to notice. He stared at Booth and Temperance, then looked at his wife, now a disheveled, quivering mass in his living room, and then back at Tempe and Booth. His eyes and face were blank. He gazed down at his hands for a moment, staring at them as if they were foreign, and then began looking around the room. His eyes displayed confusion, as if he didn't know what to do. Tempe's chest constricted when she saw two silent tears leak from his eyes. He made no move to wipe them away; it was as if he didn't even realize they had fallen.

Mrs. Greogory sobbed with such fierce power that Temperance wondered for a moment if the woman would be sick. Her breaths were haggard and forced, as if her only reason for breathing, for staying alive, at that moment was to grieve for her baby who was now forever lost.

Booth and Tempe sat silently, waiting, trying to respect the memory of the boy they had never met.

"How did he die?" Hank finally said. His voice was hollow, almost robotic. Booth wondered if the man even realized that it was him who was speaking.

"We aren't sure yet. The breaks in the bones seem to indicate that…"

Tempe's words were cut off by a sharp sob from the mother and pained look from the father. Booth quickly put his hand on her knee to silence her.

"We aren't sure yet," Tempe answered.

Booth cleared his throat. "Is there anything you could tell us about Vince? Anything at all that might help us in our investigation?"

Hank remained motionless, save for an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"No!" Mrs. Greogory shrieked. "No! He was a beautiful boy! Everyone loved him! He was perfect! He was…" her words were choked away by sobs.

Booth and Tempe both knew that the Greogory's were in no place to give them information; pressing the pair further today would be obscene. They rose from their seats, and Booth removed a card from his wallet, laying it on the coffee table.

"If, later maybe, anything comes to mind, anything at all, please, don't hesitate to call me," he said.

"He was a football player," Hank said, his voice quiet, as if far away. "He was going to be a star. He was a genius on the field."

Booth gave the broken man a sad nod. "Yes, sir. We're very sorry for your loss."

"He was going to be somebody. My boy was going to be the best there ever was," his words were rushed, almost desperate.

"Yes, sir," Booth said. And then he and Temperance slowly extracted themselves from the house, still hearing the wailing sobs of the mother, and the ramblings of the father, proclaiming that his son was going to be somebody, somebody great.

* * *

Booth and Tempe rode back to NASA in silence. They both had experience dealing with grief, but the intensity dealing with the families the past two days, combined with the confusion of the case and disruption of sleep that came with being away from home had left them both worn. And, when they arrived back at NASA, they quickly learned that they weren't the only ones feeling the effects of the case. Hodgins and Angela were steadily at work, and steadily snapping at one another as they did so.

Everyone was on edge that day as they worked. They broke for lunch at one point, but found that they were unable to relax in one another's company due to the fact that the conversation always seemed to come back to the case, and so they cut their break short. They went back to work, and by 5:00 they had another clue.

"I have a face for our Jane Doe number two," Angela announced, pushing herself up from her chair, her eyes scanning the picture she had just completed. She carried it over to Booth, who was sitting amid a sea of files, looking at her expectantly. Temperance and Hodgins walked over to look as well.

"She was beautiful," Hodgins said softly as he stared at the image.

"Yeah," Angela agreed. "She was."

And so they set about the task of putting a name with the face. Hodgins pulled out the soil samples that went with the skeleton while Temperance began re-examining the bones, looking for anything that could speed the process of finding the correct file.

Three hours later, they still didn't have a name.

"You must have done something wrong, Ange," Tempe said, her eyes scanning over the bones once again.

"This _is_ the face. I know it is," Angela replied, defensively.

"Well, so far the only match we have for the face is for a missing person who disappeared a year ago, and the soil around the skeleton of the girl you drew indicates she had been there for at least four," Hodgins interjected.

"And even the girl who is a close match is clearly a different girl. Their faces are similar, but there are still obvious differences," Booth said with a sigh.

Angela threw up her hands. "I don't know! I don't know what to tell you guys. But that _is her face_. I'm positive."

Hodgins sighed. "Okay, look, we're all tired, we're stressed out, why don't we call it a night? We'll go back to the hotel, get some pizza, and relax a little. No one talking about the case, no one talking about the girl. We can work on this tomorrow." He ran his hands over his face.

Angela took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's a good idea," she agreed. Hodgins smiled at her, and she smiled back, her tension easing a bit. A relief from the pressure was something they all needed.

She glanced over to where Booth was sitting and where Tempe was squatting beside him, as they searched the computer screen, looking for clues. Angela shook her head. They hadn't even been listening; they had been too engrossed in what they were doing. She mentally laughed; if they ever did get together and have a kid, the poor thing would be a workaholic.

"Earth to Booth and Brennan!" Angela called. Tempe and Booth looked at her. "We're going to get some pizza and head back to the hotel. C'mon, let's go."

Tempe nodded. "Okay, you guys go ahead and get it. We'll meet you there in about an hour."

Angela sighed. "You guys need a break!"

"And I think we're going to find one. Can we widen the search area?" Temperance said, obviously not comprehending Angela's meaning before talking to Booth.

"Not that kind of break! You guys…"

Hodgins cut her off. He placed his hands on her upper arms and began guiding her out of the lab. "Okay, we'll meet you there. Our room, one hour," he said.

"Okay," Booth replied, glancing up only briefly.

And so Tempe and Booth kept working as Angela and Hodgins drove away. They were using the FBI electronic archives to search for a missing person to match their face. After a few minutes they got some possible candidates, and Tempe headed back to study the bones yet again as Booth called out information to her.

"Broke her left arm when she was ten…"

"No, no broken left arm. Next."

"Um, born with a deformity in the spine?"

"No. Next."

And so they worked, on and on. An hour and half later, they were both drained and still had nothing to show for their efforts.

Booth sighed, looking at the time. "We were supposed to be at the hotel a half hour ago," he said, standing up.

Tempe nodded, straightening a few things and grabbing a few handfuls of files. Booth grabbed some himself, and they unceremoniously dumped them in the backseat before they drove away toward the hotel.

* * *

"So, how _did_ she die?" Booth asked as he drove.

"I can't say conclusively," Tempe answered, as she stared out the window, her mind replaying the features of the bones.

"All of the bones were kids. So we have a serial killer who likes teenagers, and who lives on or around Chincoteague."

"We have two bones that are at least 65 years old. And we don't know if we have a serial killer; for all we know, a group of kids were having a party that got out of hand."

"A party that ended in four people and one old lady getting killed, broken into bits, and then dumped in the woods of a federal park at intervals of one or two a year? What the hell kind of parties did _you_ go to in high school?"

Tempe sighed. "I'm not saying that that is what happened, I'm just saying we don't have enough evidence to assume that it was a serial killer."

"How do we not have enough information?"

"All of the victims, with the exception of the osteoporosis bones, were near the same age. That could suggest that someone else around their age killed them out of some sick kind of jealousy just as easily as it could suggest a creepy man-in-the-bushes killer."

"Yeah, but think about it, Bones. A serial killer just makes sense. It feels right."

"That doesn't mean it _is _right," Tempe pointed out.

They pulled up at the hotel, and Booth sighed in frustration. "Tell me that the serial killer idea doesn't make sense."

Tempe nearly groaned. "_Yes_, it makes sense, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other scenarios that make sense, too. Just because we find one possible explanation, that doesn't mean we should stop investigating and digging."

"When did I say we were going to stop investigating?"

Tempe sighed loudly as she climbed out of the SUV, slamming the door with a bit more force than was necessary.

"Geez, Bones, why don't you just break my car."

Tempe walked around to Booth's side and opened the back door as Booth climbed out. She began organizing the mass of papers in manageable piles. Booth joined her a second later.

"You're infuriating, Booth," she muttered, half to herself.

"_I'm_ infuriating! What about you! We've been working with the same remains for days now and you still refuse to give me a clear cut idea of what we're dealing with!"

She stopped straightening and turned to look at him. "I don't _know_ what we're dealing with, Booth! We need more information, more facts!"

Booth stopped straightening as well. "We have _plenty_ of facts! What we need now are plans; all we have to do is figure out how get to the next step."

"We don't know what the next step is! _We need more time_. There's more we have to sort out."

"We don't have forever, Bones. We both know what the right answer is. We need to just go with what our hearts tell us!"

"Just because it seems true or right doesn't mean it _is_ true or right," Temperance replied, shaking her head.

"We're smart people. Why can't you accept the idea of going with what we know?"

"Because we need _all_ the evidence, not just some of it. There's a lot we don't know yet."

"Why can't you ever just trust your instincts?" Both of their voices were quieter now, less accusatory.

"Because snap judgments lead to mistakes. We can't afford to make a mistake."

"Mistakes can be fixed."

"Not this one." They were both vaguely aware that they had ceased talking about the case when they stopped straightening the papers in the backseat.

"How do you know it would be a mistake?" he asked as he moved a bit closer to her.

She swallowed and felt her heart beat like a mad drum in her chest. "We can't do this, Booth." Her voice was low, but she tried to force the sound of conviction into her words.

He was dangerously close to her now; her back was pressed to the SUV, and he was looming in front of her, his eyes dark. He moved his hands and gently splayed his fingers on her hips. Her breath caught sharply at his touch, and suddenly nothing existed by him. There was nothing but his musky scent, the uneven rhythm of his breathing, the subtle trembling of his fingers as he touched her.

"I know," he whispered.

Booth stared into her eyes for a moment, and then leaned toward her. Her eyes closed instinctually, as did his. She could feel the warm rap of his breathing play on her lips, and she felt herself tremble slightly. A moment later, she felt the sweet pressure of Booth's lips pressing against hers.

All rational though flew from Temperance's mind. She no longer cared that she was standing in a parking lot, kissing a man who was her work partner, and if anyone had asked her at the moment what brought them to the island in the first place, she would have been unable to form a coherent answer. Her hands found their way to his face, and she touched his cheeks gently as his hands held them close together. She felt the slight growth of stubble that had appeared on his face since his morning shave, reveling in the roughness. It made him feel concrete, real.

His lips shifted against hers, and soon he had taken her lower lip into his mouth. One of her hands found its way into his hair as the other snaked around his neck, urging his mouth closer to hers.

He, in turn, buried one of his hands in her hair, as the other threaded between her back and the SUV, coiling around her waist, his fingers dancing on her side and ribcage.

The contact made her gasp slightly, and she felt his tongue slide into her mouth. She accepted it, greedily, and all they could feel was their bodies pushing against each other, their tongues dueling for dominance, as their fingers tentatively moved, massaging through each others hair, pulling one another as close as possible.

Time lost all meaning as they stood, pressed against the SUV, the door still open, the papers forgotten, kissing one another. They broke, barely, at times, when the need for oxygen threatened to overtake them, but their gasps were shallow and they refused to let go of one another. They refused to stop.

And then, the sharp ring of Tempe's cell phone sliced through the night. They both kept their eyes closed, still desperately kissing, as Booth removed his hand from her hair and reached for the phone that was peaking over the top of the pocket in her jeans. With lips still connected, tongues still searching, Booth opened an eye and looked at the ID.

"Angela," he mumbled into her mouth.

"Mmhmm," was her response as she tightened her arm around his neck and took the cell phone from him with the other hand. She hit the volume button to silence the ring and tossed it through the still open back door, into the SUV.

Their hands returned, and the kiss continued. Tempe could feel Booth's arousal, and she suddenly realized that she didn't know if either of them would be able to stop.

They soon found out. Booth cell phone rang, and he reached into his own pocket. He checked the ID, and seeing the number for the Chincoteague Police come up, reluctantly broke contact.

"Booth," he growled, his voice low as he stared at Temperance who remained firmly in his arms, her eyes still half closed.

"Agent Booth, we have another body," came the voice of the officer.

Temperance was close enough that she heard the words. Her eyes flew open and she and Booth stared at one another.

"Where?" Booth asked. Apparently his searing kiss with Temperance had left him capable of producing only one word responses.

"Behind a miniature golf on Maddox Blvd. We're going to need you and your team to come and recover the remains."

"We'll be right there," Booth answered as he snapped his phone shut. He realized he was still holding Temperance. "We have to go," he said, softly.

She nodded, as they continued to stand still, looking into each other's eyes. He leaned in again and kissed her. She responded, and soon they realized that if they didn't stop they weren't going to make it to the site. They pulled away from one another with reluctance.

"We have to go get Angela and Hodgins," Temperance said, missing the feeling of Booth holding her.

Booth nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

They both turned and headed toward Angela and Hodgins' room in the hotel, each trying to think of things like shower mildew and the Ebola virus to distract them from their earlier kiss.

* * *

You know you want to review.


	14. Lindsey Barron

Author's Note: Thanks for all the review! Hope this chapter is as well received as the last one...

* * *

Angela knew something had happened the moment she saw Booth. Tempe had gotten out of the elevator on their floor so she could gather some extra gloves from her room for the recovery, and Booth had traveled up the last floor to gather Hodgins and Angela. He knocked on the door and Angela instantly threw it opened.

"It's about time you got here…where's Tempe?" She eyed him curiously for a second and then felt a smile erupt across her face.

Booth looked at her with innocence. "She went back to our room to get some gloves. C'mon, we have to go, we have another body."

The mention of another set of remains distracted Angela from her study of Booth for a moment. "Another body? Where?"

"Apparently behind a miniature golf course," Booth said, with a slight shrug.

"Wow, imagine explaining that one to the kids while on vacation…" Hodgins said, standing up from the bed he had been sitting on.

Booth nodded. "They want us to go and help recover it."

"You mean they don't know _how_ to recover it, and they want us to do it for them," Hodgins replied as he stuffed his feet into shoes.

They met Temperance in the lobby, and the sight of her instantly confirmed Angela's suspicions. She surveyed the pair for a quick second. Their hair was mussed, there cheeks were flushed, and both were being extremely careful not to touch or look at one another, but their distance did not suggest anger. They stole fast glances at one another when they thought no one was looking, and they both carried themselves with a kind of false casual confidence, though Angela noted that they both seemed strangely relaxed, like a weight had been lifted. Angela was also slightly amused to note that despite the fact that they were on their way to go package up a dead body, both Booth and Temperance looked as though they were desperately fighting the urge to smile. However, even though they gave it their best shot, Angela still noticed small smiles playing across their faces for the briefest seconds when their defenses slipped.

Angela wanted to squeal in delight; even Hodgins noticed a change in their demeanor, though he was less perceptive in his observation.

"What's up? What are you guys smiling at?" he asked as he and Angela sat in the back seat of the SUV. They had moved the papers to allow them sitting room, and Tempe and Booth were arranged in their usual positions in the front. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Angela swatted his leg. "Ouch, what?"

"Nothing's up," Booth answered. He looked in the review mirror, and catching the skeptical glances from the backseat, he shrugged. "Bones and I just made some progress on the case, that's all."

Angela nodded, unable to suppress her smile. She definitely sure that they had made "progress".

The arrived at the golf course a few short minutes later, which was already surrounded by the flashing lights of police cars and the chattering of people. An officer approached them, and after the usual formalities, they were taken to the body.

It was partially buried behind the golf course, near the trashcans, on the side of the chain link fence opposite from the actual course. The remains were partially decomposed, though they weren't fully skeletal. Temperance surveyed the image before snapping a quick picture of it and preparing to remove it from its resting place. These bones hadn't been here long; it appeared that they had been buried, but that recently an animal had tried to dig them up.

Hodgins was soon by Temperance's side, helping her photograph and recover the remains. Angela looked on with grotesque interest; she wasn't as good at dealing with decomposed bodies as Tempe and Hodgins were, but she was improving. She noted that the victims face had been badly beaten.

Booth glanced at the body and instantly felt sickened. Some bastard did this to a person. They destroyed a human life. He felt rage surge up in him; the scene was appalling. A nearby officer soon approached him.

The officer explained that the remains had been found by an eighteen year old girl who worked at the golf course. She had been taking out some trash when she noticed a terrible smell near the trash cans. At first, the officer explained, she just assumed it was something in the garbage, but since she had heard about the other bodied being found on the refuge, she was curious. She had gotten a flashing light to look around, and had come upon the body.

Booth nodded, instantly feeling sorry for the girl. She would obviously be upset. The officer then explained that the girl had screamed, and several other people who heard her had come out to see what was going on. The girl had fainted, but they soon understood why. They had called the police a few minutes later.

Booth nodded again, stealing a glance at Temperance. She was steadily working on the recovery of the body, snapping pictures and collecting data.

"Hey, Bones," he called out to her.

"Yes?" she answered without looking up, still absorbed in the task at hand.

"I have some people I need to talk to. I'll get one of the officers to give me a ride back to the hotel."

Temperance nodded, glancing up only briefly. "Okay, just give the keys to Angela."

He nodded and handed over the keys. Angela smiled at him as she accepted them. He eyed her strangely, and then glanced briefly in Tempe's direction, as if seeking an explanation. Tempe didn't notice, however, as she was once again absorbed in the body. He looked back at Angela, who winked at him. "Don't worry, Sweetie, if you hurry back, I'm sure she'll wait up for you."

A slightly flush came to Booth's cheeks as he tried desperately to smother the smile that threatened to cover his face at the thought. He did his best to give her an innocent, puzzled look. "Listen, Ange, normally I'd love to stay here and figure out what you're talking about, but right now I've got to go talk to the girl who found the body."

Angela nodded, winking again, before turning away and letting Booth off the hook.

* * *

Temperance was, in fact, not awake when Booth returned to the hotel, however. This was not because she hadn't wanted to wait for him, but because he didn't make it back until almost 3:00am. Temperance, Angela, and Hodgins had gotten done around midnight, and after a fast round of questions that Temperance dodged, the three squints had tiredly headed back into the hotel and cleaned up for bed. Temperance stayed up until about 1:30, flipping through channels, trying to find something of interest. The strain of the day won in the end, however, and by the time Booth stumbled in, she was already long gone.

Booth's interviews had gone well, but he had encountered a great deal of trouble with Chincoteague Police. Apparently there was a question of jurisdiction due to the fact that the remains had been found in the state of Virginia with no direct linking between the bones found on the Refuge. Booth was convinced that the killer of the young girl they had found that night was the same person who killed their other victims, but it had been an uphill battle with the local authorities. In the end, he had only gotten his way because he had a forensic anthropologist who could actually do something with the remains that was useful. She would be left to determine of the body had been left by the same sick person who had left the others.

Booth entered the room quietly, his motions covered by the low sounds of the TV which was still on. Booth smiled at the sleeping form of the anthropologist as the flickering lights from the screen danced across her features. She looked so peaceful, angelic. Her breathing was deep and rhythmic, and her hair was gently splayed on the pillow beside her face. She was curled on her side, and blankets covered her to halfway up her upper arm. Booth removed his shoes and changed quickly before clicking the television off and kneeling beside her. His face was level with hers, and he gazed at her tenderly. She took his breath away. Being careful not to wake her, he reached out his hand smoothed the hair away from her face, pushing it so it fell down behind her neck. She moved almost imperceptibly in her sleep as his light touch barely grazed her skin, and he felt himself smile. There were women in the world who spend hours every day trying to make themselves more appealing to men; they agonized over the right thing to say, or to do, they spent ridiculous amount of money on material things, and they were insatiable in their desire to be noticed. And yet, in a world that was a swirling sea of materialism, he realized there was nothing more breathtaking, nothing more erotic, nothing more awe-inspiring than the sight of Temperance Brennan, lying silently like the statue of a goddess, sleeping. He had never known another woman like her; she challenged him, she wasn't afraid of him, and she was fragile and powerful at the same time. She mesmerized him.

His fingers still lingered, barely touching her face, as he thought about her. He leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Bones," he whispered. He moved the blankets up cover her, and then circled the bed, crawling in behind her, and soon he fell asleep while steadily inhaling the scent of her hair.

* * *

Temperance awoke in the morning to find her limbs tangled with those of a sleeping FBI agent. His arms were securely circling her. _'Protecting me,'_ she thought. _'Always protecting me_._'_

She carefully disentangled herself, and then padded quietly to the bathroom where she showered and got dressed. When she came out, he was still sound asleep. She reached out and opened the door with the intent to get them both some coffee, and found herself almost running into Angela's fist, which was raised in the air in preparation to knock.

After getting over the initial shock of nearly being hit in the head, Temperance quietly told Angela to keep her voice down, since Booth was still asleep. Angela peaked into the room and saw that only one bed was made and almost squealed in delight. She grabbed Tempe's arm and dragged her from the room, closing the door behind them as she did so.

"Okay, tell me everything," she said, her eyes shinning.

Temperance looked at her blankly. "About what?"

Angela gave Temperance a once over. "Okay, you didn't have sex, but you kissed and then last night you slept in the same bed. How was it?"

Temperance looked at Angela in surprise. "What did you…how did you…what?"

Angela smiled in a conspiratorial manner. "That amazing, huh?"

Temperance groaned. "I'm not having this conversation," she said as she walked in the direction of lobby.

Angela laughed softly under breath as she followed Temperance. "Yeah," she murmured to herself as she followed her friend. "It was that amazing." Temperance, who didn't hear the statement, did not comment.

Temperance returned to the room a short time later with the coffee. The hotel coffee didn't hold a candle to the coffee from the coffeehouse, but it was a hot beverage nonetheless. Angela had gone back to her own room in an effort to give Tempe and Booth some space.

Booth was up and showered when Temperance came back in.

"Morning," he said with a smile when he saw her.

"Morning," she replied. "What time did you get in last night?" She handed him his cup.

"Mmm, thanks," he replied, taking it from her hands. "Around 3:00. We had some issues with jurisdiction."

"Oh," Tempe replied as they both drank a sip of the coffee. They both put their cups down after the first or second sip; they had become coffee snobs.

They stood for a moment, trying not to look at each other, not really sure what to do. They talked idly for a few minutes about the case.

"Well, I guess we should get ready to go, Hodgins and Angela are probably ready by now," Temperance said.

"Yeah, we should go," Booth agreed, nodding.

Neither of them moved. And then, as if possessed, Booth practically lunged forward and he and Temperance were kissing again.

Temperance responded with similar fervor, and soon they were practically devouring one another in the hotel room. Booth's pulse raced as his hands held her face and her hands fluttered between holding his arms and his sides.

They both needed to breath, but breathing meant that there would be space between them, and so they instead chose to steal gasps of air while practically panting into one another's mouths.

Temperance's mind reeled. A few short days ago she was shocked by the idea of Booth holding her hand; now, they were standing in a hotel room kissing with a passion she had never known before.

They eventually broke contact, not because they wanted to, but because they needed to leave. Temperance grabbed and brush and smoothed her hair back into place while Booth went into the bathroom, smoothing his down with his fingers and splashing cold water on his face. When they left the room, Booth resting his hand on the small of Temperance's back and she felt electricity shoot up her spine.

* * *

They met with Angela and Hodgins, got coffee, and headed back to the lab. They worked steadily through most of the morning, and by 11:00 they had their first break of the day.

"I think I found her," Booth said, his voice quiet, as if speaking loudly would scare the image away from his computer screen. Angela, Hodgins, and Temperance were at his side in a moment. "Her name is Lindsey Barron, age 18 when she went missing."

Temperance began going over the bones yet again when Booth began calling out the features from the girl's case file. Everything matched. They had victim number three.

"Lindsey went missing during a smoke break at work. She went outside for a cigarette and never came back in," Booth read from the screen. "Around 2:30 in the afternoon."

"Another one missing in the middle of the day…" Hodgins commented. The other three nodded.

"But here's the real kicker," Booth said. The squints turned to face him. "She lived in Pennsylvania. And that's where she was last seen." His eyes scanned the screen. "No mention of Chincoteague anywhere in her records."

Angela looked up in mild surprise. "If she was listed with Chincoteague, how did you find her records?"

"National archives. Bones thought of it last night," Booth said, his eyes still reading the information.

"So, our killer had ties with the island and Pennsylvania now?" Hodgins asked.

"Or killers. We might be dealing with two different murder investigations," Temperance commented.

"That just happened to have similar bone breaks and just happened to be dumped in the same place? Not likely," Booth replied.

Temperance shrugged. "It may not be probable, but…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, examine all possible angles," Booth replied. He lifted his eyes as a boyish mischief overtook them. "Hey, maybe they were at this party, right? And then…"

His words were cut off by Tempe's condescending gaze. " Ha. Ha. Ha," she said dryly. Booth just grinned.

Booth made the necessary phone calls to have the Barron family informed of their daughter's death, and as he went through the processes of dealing with the FBI and Pennsylvania officials, the squints worked steadily on the other remains.

At 3:30, Angela announced that they had yet another face. This one was for the victim at the miniature golf course; since her remains were not fully decomposed, Angela had and easier time with her face.

They began their now routine search of the records, and soon found that they were coming up empty. A while later, Booth, who desperately wanted to stretch his legs, said that he was going to go get some more files from the car that they hadn't brought in from the night before.

As he routed around in the backseat, gathering the files that had been strewn about, he heard the sound of a cell phone ringing. He recognized that it was Bones', and smiled as he remembered how it had gotten into the backseat of his car. He grabbed it and answered without looking at the ID.

"Bones' phone," he said as he continued to gather papers.

"Um, hi, is Temperance there?"

Booth stiffened at the sound of Brian's voice. "She's busy right now, can I take a message?" he practically growled back. He felt himself grow protective.

Brian's voice was tinged with the same assertive masculinity as Booth's. He didn't like the idea of another man answering his girlfriend's cell phone. "When will she be free?"

"Hard to say. She's working on a case," Booth replied curtly.

Brian sighed, realizing there wasn't anything he could do. "Well, have her call me later when she gets a chance," he said.

"I'll be sure to give her the message," Booth replied, and with that he hung up. He stared at the phone for a moment. He hated that someone else was calling Bones. His Bones. After a moment's hesitation, he opened the "received calls" list and deleted Brian's name. He then dropped the phone into his pocket to return to her as he gathered the files and headed back inside.

* * *

Reviews are good.


	15. Dinner with the Ribalds

Disclaimer: I haven't had one of these in a while, so in case you forgot...I don't own Bones. If I did, I wouldn't be spending every waking moment at work, suffering through the rudeness of strangers, praying for closing time and a raise so I can afford to go to college :-)

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to update, I've been ridiculously busy for the past few days. Thanks for all the reviews to the last chapter, I always love to get feedback. I'll try to review faster, I promise, but, for now, here's chapter fifteen...

* * *

Booth returned to the makeshift lab to find his squints still steadily working. Bones was once again reviewing the corpse on the table in front of her as Hodgins sat in the corner calling out facts about the dirt that were meaningless to Booth, but that seemed to be important to Bones, who was nodding and somehow relating the information to the former person who was now dead in front of her. Angela was hunched over a table as well, going through stacks of files and staring closely at pictures, looking for a match. Booth smiled. He had to admit, he had grown quite fond of the little group.

"She's not here," Angela said in frustration, tossing a file onto the desk. "I've looked through everything we have, and she isn't here." She ran an annoyed hand through her hair.

Bones rested her hands on the table for support as she shifted into a mildly relaxed looking stance, her eyes still glued to the bones. She bit her lower lip thoughtfully. "She _has_ to be here. It doesn't make any sense."

Hodgins was still staring at miniscule pieces of dirt through a microscope when he spoke. "She might not even be connected to the other bones."

Booth dropped the stack of files onto the table. "She's connected."

Temperance looked up. "We don't know that."

"Oh, come on, Bones. You said yourself that some of the injuries were similar to the other bones, she was disposed of in a similar way…"

"She was beaten and partially buried. As far as murders go, that's not uncommon; it doesn't necessarily mean that she was killed by the same person as the other victims," Temperance replied.

Booth sighed. "Fine, I'll give you that, but what about the fact that we can't find a file on her?"

Temperance sighed. "What does that prove?"

"She didn't go missing on Chincoteague. It wasn't reported," Booth answered, looking triumphant.

"Just because it wasn't reported to authorities doesn't mean she didn't go missing from here. If she was killed by someone who was intimately connected to her, they might not have reported her disappearance; it would be far easier to tell people that she had simply taken off," Temperance answered.

"What are the odds of that happening?" Angela asked.

"Slim to none. Sorry, Dr. Brennan, as much as it pains me, I think Booth has something here," Hodgins commented from the corner.

"In fact, the fact that we don't have a file on her backs up my theory," Booth added.

Temperance looked at him. "How?"

Booth shrugged slightly. "It fits the profile. Lindsey Barron was from Pennsylvania. She never had a connection to Chincoteague, but she was found here. I have a feeling if we poke around a little bit, we may find that the same is true for this girl."

"You and your feelings," Temperance mumbled as she looked back at the bones.

"I've found that acting on my feelings can lead to positive results," Booth comment with a small smirk.

Temperance shot him a quick warning glance. She sighed. "Check the FBI records, see if we can get a hit on the face," she conceded.

Booth smiled. "Okay, any particular region of the country you want to begin in?"

Temperance bit her lip again, surveying the bones. "Anything that's a day's drive or less from Chincoteague," she answered.

Angela, who had been watching the exchange with a smile on her face, cut in at this point. "That's a great idea, but unfortunately we can't do that tonight."

Booth and Temperance both looked at her. "Why not?" Booth asked.

"It's Wednesday. In case you forgot, we have dinner plans tonight," Angela answered.

Tempe glanced at her watch and gave herself a mental head slap. Dinner with the Ribalds; she had completely forgotten; it was nearly 5:30. "What time are we supposed to meet them?"

Angela was already gathering her things. "6:30. C'mon, as much fun as this is, we have to go."

The other three nodded reluctantly, and prepared to leave for dinner.

* * *

They arrived at the Ribald's home at 6:25, which was located directly beside the coffeehouse. The Ribalds greeted the four warmly, and quickly invited them all inside. They reclined in the living room with glasses of wine a few minutes later, spending some time getting to know one another before dinner was ready.

The house was sparsely decorated and fairly modern. Abstract paintings hung about on the walls, works done by Kate, no doubt, and the furniture and other decorative touches mirrored items found in the shop. There was excellent use of color, reflecting Kate's artist's eye, and while the house seemed clean and orderly, it was strangely cold. Angela noted, as she looked around, that despite the fact that Kate and Charlie were grandparents, as was evidenced by the conversation and photographs sprinkled throughout the room, there was no homey feel to the house. She couldn't imagine children laughing here, or climbing on the couch, or baking cookies on Saturday afternoons while their parents were running errands. She noted that Charlie and Kate had a similar air about them; she couldn't imagine anyone calling them "Grandma" or "Granddad", they seemed too orderly, to together.

They sat down for dinner a short while later, where Tempe, Booth, Hodgins, and Angela talked and listened to Kate and Charlie, exchanging life stories, and learning about one another.

It came out in the conversation that Kate and Charlie had no children together. They both were parents from previous marriages, but they were divorced, Charlie twice and Kate once, and they had married one another when they were in their late forties. Both had had their children young, so they were basically grown by the time the marriage came about. Charlie had two sons, Kate had two daughters. Angela asked how the two had met, and the three squints and one FBI agent then learned that Charlie had once been married to Kate's best friend. Although the Ribalds didn't go into detail, the four filled in the gaps.

Hodgins watched the couple with interest. They were both rather aloof, however they both seemed to be truly invested in the dinner conversation and sincerely interested in speaking to their dinner guests. They didn't seem fake, just…different. It was something Hodgins was having a hard time defining. The conversation eventually came to the coffeehouse, and the dinner guests commented on how they had grown addicted to the richly brewed drug. Booth asked about the employees, and soon learned that the two girls who always seemed to be working were related to one another. They were first cousins, however, since they went to college practically on opposite sides of the country, working together in the summers was practically the only time they saw one another. They had been raise nearby, and each was attached to a boyfriend; the blond who took orders was dating a boy who was studying to be a doctor, and the brunette was a surfer girl who was dating a boy who was studying to be an environmental scientist. Hodgins smiled, as did Temperance, and somehow they felt affirmed: scientists were sexy.

The Riblads spoke to Temperance with great interest, asking where she got the inspiration for her books, and Temperance answered honestly in her usual self-depreciatingly humble way. She didn't see the talent in her books; to her, it was just a side income.

By the time 10:30 rolled around, the six were done with dinner, but were still sitting at the table, talking. They had all spoken so much that it was as if they had known each other all their lives. The Ribalds, it turned out, had lived in many different locations around the country. They currently owned houses in Portland, Chincoteague, and a loft in Mexico, however they had previously lived in places such as Seattle, New York, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Annapolis, and Chicago. It was an impressive track record; it was obvious that the Ribalds were very comfortable financially.

By 12:30, the conversation lagged. Temperance found her mind being dragged back toward the case, and, as if on cue, the Ribalds inquired as to how it was going. The four responded that it was going very well, though they were careful to be vague on the details.

Soon, Booth noticed Hodgins eyes beginning to droop, and so the four thanked their hosts and prepared to leave.

"I hope you'll come see us again, Tempe," Kate had said, her hand grasping Temperance's upper arm. Her eye stared directly into Temperance's as she spoke. "It was wonderful meeting you tonight."

Temperance looked back at the woman as Charlie walked up and draped his arm around his wife's shoulders. It was a casual gesture, but something about it seemed strange to Temperance. "Yes," Charlie added, also looking intently at Temperance. "We'd love to see you again."

Temperance smiled in response. "Thank you," she answered, carefully extracting her arm. "You have a lovely home. It was a pleasure."

The Ribalds smiled back at her. The other three gave similar goodbyes, and they left soon after, headed back to what had become their temporary home.

* * *

Hodgins and Angela had headed straight to their hotel room when they got back, and Temperance and Booth did the same, saying quick goodbyes to one another as they parted. After arriving back in the room, Temperance found her thoughts returning to the case, and to the strange goodbye the Ribalds had given her. She wasn't usually good at reading people, but she knew that something about the exchange had felt odd.

Booth had other things on his mind when they walked into the hotel room. Temperance dropped into a chair at the table in the corner, and was soon looking though a few of the files that still lay scattered on the table. Booth walked up behind her and carefully placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't understand, Booth," she said, her face pensive.

He knelt down behind her, his head level with her shoulder. He gently pushed her hair aside and leaned close to her ear when he spoke. "Don't understand what?"

His breath danced on her ear and neck and made her tingle. Her eyes dropped closed practically of their own accord. "The case," she murmured, trying to bring her thoughts back.

"We can work on the case tomorrow," Booth said quietly, placing a kiss below her ear and on her cheek.

"Why these victims? What's the connection?" Temperance mused, willing her eyes open.

Booth stood and spun her chair around so she was facing him before kneeling down again, in front of her. "Bones, we can work on that later."

He leaned in and kissed her. She kissed him back, but broke the contact when she felt her control slipping. Booth sighed. "You're not going to forget about this tonight, are you?"

She sighed. "It doesn't make sense."

He nodded, standing, and dropped into the chair opposite her at the table. "Okay, then we'll work on this."

She stared at him. "Really?"

He smiled. "Really. I want to be with you; if that means working on the case all night, than that's what we'll do."

His eyes made her melt inside, and she suddenly felt scared. Booth wasn't supposed to be able to make her feel this way. This was wrong. She grabbed a legal pad and pen that sat nearby and turned to a clean page, as Booth did the same. "Okay, what do we know?"

Booth clicked his pen. "We have one male victim, Vince, and four female victims, Lindsey, Tamara, and two unknowns."

"And one female with osteoporosis," Tempe added.

Booth nodded. "Excluding the osteoporosis bones, all victims were between the ages of 16 and 20. All were beaten."

Temperance bit the end of her pen after jotting down Booth's statements. "Two victims from Chincoteague, one from Pennsylvania, and two unknowns."

"You said all had indications of strangulation," Booth added.

"All had breakings in the pelvic region that were consistent with pressure as opposed to sudden contact or a quick blow."

"And you said the male bones had a fracture in the back of the head consistent with a blow from a person who was shorter than him," Booth said as he wrote. "How tall did you say he was?"

"Around 6'2" or 6'3"," Tempe answered.

Booth nodded. "So, even an average sized male would possibly be shorter than him."

"Or he could have been in an elevated position when the blow was delivered. If he was on some kind of platform, for example, the killer could have killed him while standing on the ground; there is no guarantee that the killer is naturally shorter, just that the blow came from below."

Booth was quiet for a beat. "Did you find evidence of sexual assault?"

"With the skeletal remains it's nearly impossible to say. However, with the girl from the golf course, though partially decomposed, had enough flesh to show that she had bruising in the vaginal region, which could easily suggest a sexual attack."

Booth spread the files on their identified victims out on the table. They began looking for common features.

"They all worked in a restaurant at some point," Temperance said.

Booth shook his head. "Lindsey didn't; she was a cashier in a department store."

"Physical features?"

"All different," Booth said.

"Religion? Race?"

"No, and no. You said the last unknown from the refuge was of African decent, and Vince was Jewish on his mother's side."

And so they worked through the night, looking for common threads, but only coming up with disconnected strings.

* * *

At 7:00 the next morning, Tempe and Booth were both asleep with their heads on the hotel room table, using their arms as pillows. Angela, who had somehow acquired Tempe's key, let herself into the room quietly. She was eager to catch Booth and Brennan in bed together so she could declare their relationship official. She groaned out loud when she saw them, still dressed from the night before, at the desk. She spun on her heel, leaving the room, and slammed the door behind her, which woke the sleeping pair up.

They didn't register what the sound was, and instead looked at each other with groggy eyes.

"Morning," Booth mumbled, his eyes only half opened.

Tempe's eyes were almost entirely closed. "Uh-huh."

They prepared for the day in a zombie like state, but eventually managed to wake up. They met Angela and Hodgins at eight, and the four headed back to NASA for another day of work.

"What if the killer lives here seasonally?" Hodgins commented around 10:30.

Angela responded. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Hodgins continued, "the soil indicates that the remains were buried near or in the summer. The killer might live somewhere else the rest of the year. That could explain the Pennsylvania bones. Maybe that's where he lives in the winter or something."

"He might not even live here seasonally," Temperance commented. "All we know is that he or she has come here multiple times. That does mean that he _lives_ here."

The group stood quietly for a moment. "Okay, I'll say it," Angela said suddenly, breaking the silence. "What if Kate and Charlie Ribald are the killers?"

The group stared at her. Angela rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, we were all thinking it. They've lived all over the place, including Pennsylvania, I might add. They've lived on Chincoteague for years, their residence here predates the timetable for the first body, and they still have houses all over the place that they live in at various times of the year. They're a logical choice."

Hodgins nodded eagerly. "The coffeehouse is just a cover. They're actually serial killers!"

"Easy on the conspiracies, Ace," Booth said, his eyes glued to the computer screen. "Just because they move around doesn't mean that they are murderers."

Temperance smiled. "Don't have a gut feeling about them?"

Booth still didn't look up from the screen. "No, I have a gut feeling about them. I think they might have done it; but a wise person once told me not to pass judgment until I had _all_ the evidence." He smiled impishly at Bones, who flushed slightly and rolled her eyes. He dropped his eyes back to the screen. "And, speaking of all the information…"

The squints stared at him. "What?" Angela asked.

"Ladies and gentleman, meet our fourth victim. Sandra Hall, the girl behind the golf course."

The squints stared at the screen at the face of a young girl, 16 years of age, with dark brown hair and warm brown eyes. She was beautiful; her face showed youthful innocence and trust. Angela's eyes strayed to the table where her remains now lay. The innocence had been betrayed.

"Where was she from?" Hodgins asked.

Booth clicked a few quick keys. "Not to far from D.C. in Maryland. Near Annapolis and Baltimore."

"Annapolis…" Angela said.

Hodgins smiled smugly. "Hey, call me a conspiracy theorist, but didn't the Ribalds live there for a while?"

* * *

Reviews are always welcome


	16. The Relapse

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, they were great! As far as this chapter goes, let me warn you now, I've been reading your reviews and a lot of you aren't going to like this one. Seriously. You're going to freak out and write me mean reviews. But it's okay; I'm ready for it. Go ahead, scream, yell, threaten my life, whatever. As long as you don't follow through on anything, we'll all be fine. I mean, after all, if you kill me, you'll never know what happens, will you:-) Enjoy...

* * *

Booth stepped out to make the necessary calls about Sandra Hall a few minutes later. Someone would be sent to alert her parents, and the file on her would be updated. After he left the room, Angela, Hodgins, and Temperance set about the task of gathering up all pertinent evidence on Sandra. It would be catalogued, and eventually Sandra's remains would be returned to her parent's for burial. First, however, they would be sent back to the Jeffersonian. Temperance phoned Zach and informed him that the remains were coming; since the body was not fully skeletal, they would attempt to take DNA samples. Not only would this provide them with a completely positive ID, they also could get lucky enough to get something on her killer.

Zach assured Dr. Brennan that he would gather the samples, and also told her that everything at the Jeffersonian was going smoothly. Temperance off-handedly asked how things were going with Meg, and Zach replied that they were going very well. The earnestness of his voice was almost enough to make Temperance laugh; it was as if he were speaking about a class as opposed to outings to pick up girls.

Temperance clicked off her cell phone and dropped it into her pocket, turning her attention back to the remains. "Zach said he'd get the samples for us, so all we have to do now is package the body. We can have it sent out tomorrow."

Hodgins nodded in response as Temperance's phone impatiently began to ring. Tempe's eyes were still on the bones when she answered, and she didn't bother to look at the ID before saying, "Brennan."

"Hey, Honey, how's everything going down there?"

The sound of Brian's voice caught Tempe off guard. "Hey," she replied, as she turned and walked out of the room. She passed Booth on her way, as he was walking back in. She didn't meet his gaze as she passed. "Everything's going fine. We're making progress."

"That's great," Brian said. "So, does that mean you'll be coming home soon?"

"Yeah, I guess it does," Tempe replied. Her thoughts strayed to Booth. When she went back to D.C., she would be forced to deal with the reality of what was happening between them.

Brian was quiet for a beat. "You don't seem happy about that."

"Hmm? Oh, no, I am," Temperance replied, her brain snapping back to the conversation at hand. "I'm just distracted, I guess. Trying to figure out what's going on with the case, that's all."

"Oh," Brian answered. "So…the case is going well, though? You're closing in on whoever it is?"

Temperance explained about the lack of continuity in the victims, forgetting for a moment that she wasn't talking to Booth. Brian was quiet, listening.

"So, there's no apparent profile? Other than the fact that their young, I mean."

"No. None that I can find, anyway. It's almost as if someone just…randomly picked these kids. I don't know." Tempe sighed in frustration. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe they were just randomly picked," Brian offered. "Maybe the killer just…liked them. I mean, they were all attractive kids. Maybe he was just a sexual predator."

Temperance was quiet for a beat. "How did you know they were all attractive?"

"You described them as attractive."

"I did?"

"Tempe…are you okay? You don't seem real plugged in here."

Temperance was quiet for a second. _Had she described the victims as attractive?_ She couldn't remember. She also couldn't figure out why it bothered her so much. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said again. "I guess I'm just hypothesizing. Booth must have gotten into my head." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.

"Oh," Brian said, quietly. "Booth. Right." There was a beat of silence that Temperance didn't fill. "Speaking of Booth," Brian continued, his voice sounding as though he were practically grimacing every time he said the FBI agent's name, "why didn't you ever call me back? I was starting to get a little worried."

Temperance thought back to the conversation she had with Brian when she blew him off at the hotel. It seemed as though it had happened a million years ago. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. I meant to call, but then I got so wrapped up in the case, I guess time just got away from me." _'Oh, yeah, and I was also making out with my work partner,'_ she mentally added.

"Oh, right. I understand," Brian answered. His voice sounded a bit relieved, though Temperance wasn't sure why. He laughed slightly. "I'm sorry."

Temperance was confused. "Why?"

"For getting jealous. I mean, I'll admit, after I talked to Booth yesterday, I was worried he wouldn't give you the message. That's mostly why I called today, if you want to know the truth. I know it's stupid, but I just…I like you a lot, Tempe. I guess I was just afraid I was going to lose you." He spoke honestly, without even a hint of guile in his voice.

Temperance was frozen. Booth had answered her phone yesterday? And spoken to Brian? "It's not stupid, Brian," she said, not wanting him to know that he had been right about what had happened. "It was my fault. I just got distracted, that was all." Booth hadn't told her that Brian had called. Booth didn't _want_ her to know that Brian had called. "Hey, listen, I have to go. I'll call you back tomorrow or something, okay?"

"Sure," Brian answered, sounded relaxed and normal. "Talk to you later, Honey."

Temperance grimaced. The terms of affection were getting old. And fast. "Talk to you later." She clicked off her phone and headed back inside.

Angela looked up when she entered. "Everything okay back at the Jeffersonian?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tempe answered. "That was just Brian."

Booth's head snapped up, and Temperance looked over at him. Angela surveyed them both with interest. "What did he want?" Booth asked, his voice a bit more rough than he would have liked.

"To talk to me." Temperance's voice was like ice, and the tone surprised Angela.

"Sweetie, is everything okay?"

Temperance turned to look at Angela, and her tone softened. "Yeah, everything's fine." She turned to face Booth. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?'

Her tone was not threatening, but somehow this didn't comfort Booth. She was too calm. "Sure," he said, standing up. He followed her outside.

She stood, looking at the ground, with her arms crossed in front of her, holding onto her upper arms. She looked cold, even though it was a brutally hot summer's day. She sighed. "Why?"

"Why what?" Booth asked.

She looked up at him. Her tone was still soft. "Don't. We both know what I'm talking about. I want to know why."

Booth didn't know what to say. As he stood silently, he looked away from Tempe, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shift her gaze back to the ground and give a slight nod. "Listen, Bones…"

She put her hand up to stop him, her eyes still not meeting his. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and sighed loudly. He didn't know what to do; her silence bewildered him.

What she did next confused him even more. She step forward and reached out, gentle touching his chest. Her eyes were still cast downward, and as he stared at her, she lifted her head without warning, and captured his lips.

His hands instantly flew to her back, clutching her, pulling her close. Her hands, which were still on his chest, slowly snaked up to his face, her fingers lightly grazing his jaw line. His tongue fought with hers as if the furry and anger that should have been shouted seconds before was now being expressed. His hand moved and his fingers burrowed into her hair, grasping at her, somehow knowing that this was too good to be true.

Temperance felt herself melt. She felt Booth's chest and arms, hard with muscle, pressing against her and hold her tightly. She felt his hands on her, pressing and moving firmly but with careful respect. Her knees felt weak. She never wanted to stop; she felt her control begin to fade away, and she quickly tried to step back, trying to regain her composure.

He kept his arms firmly on her, preventing her from moving away. He rested his forehead against hers and looked at her as her gaze remained pointed at the ground. "Bones…" he said, his voice low and filled with emotion. She shook her head to stop him, and careful removed herself from his grasp. She resumed her earlier stance, her hands resting on her upper arms.

"How can I trust that, Booth?" her voice was quiet and devoid of apparent emotion.

Booth stared at her, perplexed. "What?"

She looked up and allowed her gaze to meet his then. Her eyes were empty, hollow, and she looked at him with cool detachment, as if she hadn't been kissing him only moments before. "Tell me why you didn't give me the message."

Booth sighed. "Listen, Bones…"

She cut him off. "Why did you feel you had the right not to tell me?"

"Bones…"

"Why did you believe you had the right to answer my phone in the first place?"

"Bones!"

"How did you see it as your place to interfere in my personal life?"

"Bones, stop it, liste…"

"What gave you the right to withhold information about _my life_ from me!"

"BONES!"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she practically screamed. She dropped her gaze back to the ground, and they both stood in silence for a moment.

After a short time, Temperance spoke. Her voice was quiet again. "You had no right."

Booth was frustrated now, and this frustration fueled his speech. "I had no right! _I had no right!_ Need I remind you of what has been going on with us for the past two days? Do you remember any of that? No? Well then let me refresh your memory by reminding you of what happened TWO MINUTES AGO! And now you say I have to right to be involved in your personal life!"

"I'm dating Brian. You know that. What has happened in the past two days hasn't changed that." Her voice was hard and unyielding, punctuating every word.

Booth was stunned. "No. You're not. You're not his. You're _mine._" He instantly regretted his choice of words when he saw her reaction.

"I'm _yours?_ I'M _YOURS?_ No, Agent Booth, I am not _yours_, and I am not Brian's! _No one owns me_, and I am perfectly capable of handling my own life!"

"Then why are you still seeing that jerk!" he shouted back.

"It is not your place to decide who I should and should not date!"

"He isn't good enough for you!"

"What!"

"You can do better than him!"

"You mean you, Booth? You're better than him!"

"Yes, damn it! At least I appreciate you!"

Temperance stared at him, shaking her head. "No. You lied to me."

Booth sighed angrily. "Okay. Fine. I forgot you the message. That makes me a terrible human being!"

"I checked my received calls when you gave me my phone back to make sure I hadn't missed any calls from the Jeffersonian. Brian's name wasn't there. You deleted it; you hid it from me."

Booth couldn't answer.

Temperance threw up her hands, sighing angrily, pacing. "I don't believe this. With what we do all day, how can you so easily dismiss another person!"

Booth paused. "What?"

"We spend all day looking at the remains of people who have been brutally killed, their lives taken away by what you define as heartless monsters. Don't you see how hypocritical it is for you to then just ignore someone else's emotions? You claim to care about people, you claim to want to fight for them, but when it comes to something you want, you don't mind hurting people who get in the way!"

"This is different, Bones! This is…"

"This is what, Booth? What is this!"

"This is us!"

"There is no 'us'! The only way this is different is that this is something _you_ want! The world does not revolve around you!"

Her words stung, and they both dropped into a bitter silence, their stances defensive, both enraged with one another.

Angela walked out then, and noted the way the two were standing. "Everything okay out here?" she asked, her eyes scanning the pair.

"Fine," Temperance answered, her voice sharper than razors.

"Fine," Booth answered as well, his voice tingled with boiling rage.

Angela looked at the two and wanted to groan. All the progress they had made in the past two days seemed to be slipping away.

* * *

The rest of the day was passed in an uncomfortable silence between Booth and Brennan. They refused to speak cordially to one another, and when they were forced to communicate, their words were coated in hot anger and disdain. By the time they went to dinner that night, Tempe and Booth were practically refusing to look at one another. 

"Oh, my God, can't you two _please_ just talk about this!" Angela finally exclaimed, throwing her fork onto her plate.

Booth and Temperance gave one another icy stares.

"I have nothing to say to her," Booth said, his tone hard edged.

"_You_ have nothing to say to _me?_ You're the one who lied!" Temperance shot back.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Booth replied, his tone dripping sarcasm. "I guess I just received a few _mixed messages_ from you based on your actions."

"You're apparently very good and mixing up your messages!"

"OH, could you two please STOP!" Hodgins cut in. Temperance and Booth stared at one another in silence.

"You two are acting like children!" Angela commented.

Hodgins shook his head. "If this is how children act, we're never having any."

The evening did not improve after dinner. Arguments flared as the four walked back to the hotel. One particularly heated moment resulted in the utterances of 'bastard' and 'bitch' by Temperance and Booth, respectively.

When they finally made it back, Angela and Hodgins wanted to cry for joy; they wanted nothing more than the peace and quiet that would come with their room.

They weren't that lucky.

"Who's sleeping where?" Booth asked as the walked into the parking lot.

Angela and Hodgins looked at him with confusion. Hodgins spoke, saying, "well, you and Dr. Brennan are staying in…"

"No," Temperance cut it. "I'm not staying in a room with him."

"And I'm not staying with her," Booth added.

Angela sighed angrily. "_Fine_. Temperance can stay in our room with me, Booth can share his room with Hodgins."

Hodgins didn't look thrilled, but consented because he was sick of listening to fighting.

"Sounds good to me," Temperance said.

"Me, too. Good luck, Ange, night, Bones."

"_Don't call me 'Bones'! _That is not…"

"Your name yeah yeah yeah I get it, chill out _Dr._ Brennan."

"Whatever, Booth. Maybe you should call your proctologist and see if he can locate your head."

"OKAY, on that note…" Angela said, steering Temperance away from Booth, who was being restrained by Hodgins. "We're leaving now. We'll take the stairs, Jack, why don't you take Romeo in the elevator."

Hodgins nodded. "Great. Night guys, love you, Ange," he called as he lead Booth away.

"Love you, too, Jack. Night, Booth."

Booth only grunted in response, and Angela lead her very angry best friend toward the staircase, mental wishing that this little trip was just a dream, and that in a few minutes she would wake up and everything would be back to normal.

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	17. A Strange Coincidence

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I was actually pleasantly surprised; for the most part, you guys took it very well. I only got one threat about a flock of rabid furbies...but anyway, to the few of you who did hate the last chapter, I hope you keep reading anyway. I have a plan. I promise. :-) I have a feeling that those of you who hate Brian are going to like how this chapter ends. Just to tell you, I mention something about Brian in this chapter that is first referenced in chapter three, I think. You don't need to go back and find it or anything, I just wanted to let you know it was there. Also, I stole one line from the show _Will and Grace_ in this chapter, just to let you know. Okay, I guess that's it, go ahead and read now.

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"We need to go talk to the Ribalds!"

"And say what! We think you're strange, therefore we think you killed five people!"

"Well, it makes more sense than staying here all day!"

"How does it make more sense! If we stay here we might be able to get an ID on the last body from the Refuge!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure today's the magic day for that! Because, after all, you've only had weeks to work on those remains; one more day is all you need to blow this case wide open!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you're right. Since actually attempting to do things accurately takes time, we should abandon that method and instead rely on what's convenient!"

"If we don't act quickly we could lose them! If they think we're on to them, they might take off again!"

"We don't even know if they did it! And, even if they do take off, is that so terrible? Is the FBI so inept that they would never be able to find them again!"

"Is the Jeffersonian so inept that they can't figure out who a pile of bones belong to! You've had weeks!"

"I have not had weeks! Identifying takes time, Booth! We can't just go on instinct! We're dealing with the loss of someone's life!"

"If the Ribalds get away, we'll be dealing with the loss of more lives! Christ, Bones…"

"DON'T CALL ME BONES!"

"WILL BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Hodgins shouted from across the room that was serving as their lab. Temperance and Booth stopped shouting and stood still, staring at one another.

Angela sat at another table with her face in her hands. It was 11:00am, and Booth and Temperance had been at it since they had met up this morning at 7:45. "If all the two of you are going to do is scream, can you do us all a favor and just go back to ignoring one another?" she moaned.

Booth and Tempe stood silently for another moment, sizing one another up.

"Fine," Temperance said, coldly. "I need to work with the remains, anyway."

"Like it'll help," Booth muttered.

Temperance flared again. "Oh, you're right, what was I thinking? It would be much more productive to jump to conclusions and go charge two possibly innocent people with multiple murders!"

"I didn't say anything about _charging_ them, I just said we should _talk_ to them! God, would it kill you to listen once in a while, Bones!"

"Don't call me…"

Angela cut them both off when she threw her pen across the room. "THAT'S IT! I've had enough!" She turned to Hodgins. "You stay here with Tempe and work on the damn remains, and I'll shut Booth up by taking him to the Ribalds." Hodgins nodded, and Angela looked at Booth and Tempe. "Will that pacify you both?"

Booth and Tempe regarded one another with steely glares. "Fine," they both muttered.

Angela threw her hands in the air as she followed Booth to the door. "Why can't you two just climb on top of one another and get it over with already!" she groaned. Tempe and Booth both ignored her.

* * *

Booth was quiet as Angela drove them to the Ribalds' house. She was surprised when he had offered no objection to her driving, but his sulking manner made her wonder if he was even really noticing. She sighed, shaking her head. "Why can't you just apologize, tell her that you were jealous, and move on?"

"That's not the point anymore," he answered, his voice monotone, still staring out the passenger side window.

"Then what is the point?" she asked. She did her best to keep her tone gentle; she wasn't used to having heart to heart conversations with Booth.

Booth shook his head. Apparently he wasn't up for a heart to heart either.

They pulled up at the coffeehouse a few minutes later, and walked over to the Ribalds' front door, where they knocked and waited. Booth shifted from sulking into FBI mode as they stood on the front steps.

The door opened less than a minute later, and a slightly flustered looking Charlie Ribald stepped out. "I didn't think they'd send you to look at this," he said, his face showing that he was perplexed. "Honestly, since nothing was taken, I wasn't really expecting them to send anyone. Things are so lax around here…"

Booth and Angela stared at him, confused. Charlie noted their expressions, and said in surprise, "you are here because of the break in, aren't you?"

"What break in?" Booth inquired.

"Last night; we went to the shop this morning to open up and someone had pried open the lock. The door was still open when we went in. We called the police, but nothing seemed to be stolen. The register still had money in it; the items in the shop seemed undisturbed. An officer came out, but told us that everything seemed to be fine and that we should call if we found that anything was missing."

Booth stared at the man for a moment. "Someone broke in and didn't steal anything?"

Charlie shrugged. "Doesn't make any sense to me, either. That's why I'm so surprised they sent you; other than being strange, it's barely a crime."

Booth nodded. "Do you mind if we walk around the shop a little bit?" Something about the situation piqued Booth's interest.

"Of course, of course," Charlie said. "Go ahead, check out whatever you want."

Booth and Angela did just that. The shop was two stories high, and they searched both floors, including storage rooms. Nothing seemed to be out of place. They were about to leave when Booth noted a door near the entrance. "Where does this lead?" he asked. The door had a painting hanging on it, and it was painted the same color as the wall. It was easy to miss.

"The basement," Charlie said. "But there's nothing in it that a criminal would be interested in. It floods, so we don't store anything down there."

Booth nodded, absently. "I'd like to look anyway, if you don't mind."

Charlie assured him that he didn't, and they cleared the space of the few objects that were sitting in front of the door. Booth pulled it opened and found himself staring down a grimy concrete staircase that ran along the wall. At the bottom of the stairs, the basement extended in such a way that it was not visible from above; to see what was in the basement, you had to walk down into it.

Booth didn't have to walk down. A strong stench from below told him that something was not right, and he had a good idea what it was. He turned to Angela. "Call the recovery squints," he said, grimly. "And tell them to bring gloves."

* * *

Temperance and Hodgins arrived quickly, and headed down into the basement. Kate and Charlie had closed the shop for the day due to the fact that they potentially had a dead body in their basement, and all that was left now were the two teenage girl employees and the curly haired woman, all who were cleaning up from the small amount of business they had done that day before leaving.

Booth followed after the two squints while Angela stayed on the main floor, talking with Charlie and Kate, answering the few questions of the curious employees, and watching to make sure that no one who wasn't supposed to be there came in.

The smell in the basement was sickening, and the three who descended the stairs didn't take long to figure out why. In the far left corner, at the very back of the room, away from the stairs, lay the body of a young girl. She was bent at an unnatural angle, and it was obvious that she had been brutally and mercilessly beaten. Sprinkled around her was limestone, an obvious attempt to cut down on the smell of death that permeated the room. She hadn't been there long; she had just barely begun to decompose.

Temperance walked over to the body. She wasn't used to dealing with skin, but she knew enough to gauge that this girl had been dead for five to seven days. Her body had begun to break down, but her features had not completely faded; it wouldn't be hard to recreate her face for an ID.

As Temperance looked over the body, Booth stood frozen near the foot of the staircase. The smell was horrible, and scene was gruesome. Although he had been in the military and was used to seeing death, or as used to seeing it as one could be, the scene still bothered him. Even he could tell that the girl couldn't have been much older than seventeen. His stomach turned. The beating she had sustained had left her looking barely human. His vision began to blur slightly.

Temperance turned around and saw Booth's face fade white. Quickly, she stood up, snapped off her gloves, and instructed Hodgins to begin taking pictures of the scene. Hodgins nodded numbly, fascinated by the macabre scene. She reached Booth in a few quick strides and placed her hand on his elbow as she began to lead him from the basement.

He went with her without argument, his brain barely registering what was going on. The scene had gotten to him. She walked him out into the parking lot where she instructed him to take a deep breath. He greedily sucked in the clean air.

She touched his arm gently as he began to calm. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice tender.

He nodded numbly, his brain still reeling over the horror that had been the scene in the basement.

"Maybe you should sit down. I can get you some water…?" her tone was a far cry from the angry screams they had been exchanging only two hours earlier.

"I'm fine," he said as his senses slowly returned. He began to register what was happening, and began to curse himself for his weakness. He grew angry with himself for his inability to handle what he had seen. And, somehow the fact that his weakness had shown in front of Temperance only made him angrier.

"I really think you should sit down," Temperance said. Her tone was slightly forceful.

Booth's frustration with himself came out when he spoke to Temperance. "_I'm fine_," he said, firmly.

"You don't look fine, Booth."

"Well, I _am_ fine," he replied, growing more frustrated.

She sighed. "Why can't you just swallow your pride and listen to me? You need to sit down!"

Booth's tone turned as cold as January snow. "I don't need you to save me, Dr. Brennan," he said and he pulled his arm from her grasp.

She stared at him for a moment, indignant. She had only been trying to help. She shook her head, turned on her heel, and walked back to the basement.

Booth stood in the parking lot with his hands on his hips, watching her walk away as a car pulled up in the shop parking lot. A man climbed out of the driver's seat. Booth glanced at him as he walked up toward the door to the shop, not bothering to tell him that they were closed.

The shop door opened a second before the man reached it, and the brunette who made drinks, Booth thought he remembered her name was Abby, stepped out.

"I'm sorry, we're closed," she said, smiling politely. Her voice was smooth and soothing.

The man smiled at her. "Oh," he said, glancing at his watch. "I thought you were opened today."

The girl closed the door behind her as she stepped out, twirling her keys in her hand. "We were, but we had to close up early." She glanced at Booth. "We had an unexpected problem that had to be dealt with."

Booth smiled at her tact. The girl then excused herself and began to walk past the man on the steps, toward her car which was apparently parked on the street near the parking lot.

The man followed after her, and Booth noted the way he stared after her as she retreated. He shook his head. Even though the man was obvious over 35, overweight, and had thinning hair, it seemed that he was still hoping he had a shot with the pretty, slim, twenty year old. Booth almost chuckled. All men were the same.

Booth stopped watching the pair as they left, and instead turned his attention back to the door, thinking about Temperance. He began to walk back inside, when he heard the man and the girl speaking behind him.

"Excuse me, miss? I think you dropped this."

Booth turned and saw the overweight man standing beside the young girl. He was holding out a five dollar bill.

She glanced at the older man. "Oh, um, no, I don't think I did," she answered as she began walking away again. She reached her car a few steps later, and the man was still behind her.

"Yeah, it fell right out of your pocket when you were walking," he insisted.

The girl smiled politely again. "Thank you, but I don't think it's mine." She climbed into her car.

"Yes, it is," the man insisted.

"Why don't you just keep it?" the girl suggested, and with that she turned on her car and sped away.

Booth watched as the man tucked the money into his pocket. He turned, saw Booth looking at him, and shrugged. "Worth a shot," he said. Booth nodded, thinking it was the lamest pickup attempt that he had ever seen, and watched as the man folded himself back into his own car and drove away.

Booth was about to walk back inside when Angela walked out. Hodgins and Temperance were close behind her. "C'mon," Angela said. "We're headed back to the lab. The remains are being sent over so we can ID them."

Booth nodded, and Hodgins explained that the police had already been alerted to the situation. Since the FBI were already there, they were free to take the remains and work toward an ID. They would question the Ribalds and look around for themselves later that day.

Booth nodded and followed Angela back to the car. He climbed into the driver's seat and watched Temperance and she and Hodgins climbed into Hodgins' car. Booth recalled their exchange in the parking lot as he turned the key in the ignition. Temperance hadn't even looked at him when she had walked out, and Booth mentally cursed himself.

Why had he been so stupid? Why hadn't he been able to just let her comfort him? _'Because that means your weak,'_ his mind answered. _'Because you don't need her to save you.'_ Booth mentally nodded to his own reasoning as he pulled onto the road, but, of course, he knew it was all a lie. He wanted her to save him.

* * *

They worked for the rest of the day on the new remains. Since the body was not yet fully decomposed, they had very little trouble with the girl's face. By 6:00pm, they had her ID. Her name was Amy Collins. She was fifteen when she had gone missing, only two weeks earlier.

Angela, Hodgins, Booth, and Temperance stared at the screen. "She was from New York," Angela noted. "And she was last seen at 11:00am."

"Disappeared in broad daylight," Hodgins said, softly. "Just like all the others. Whoever is doing this, he's bold. How is he getting them all in the middle of the day without anyone noticing?"

No one had an answer to that question, just as they had no answer as to why Chincoteague was the place where all the bodies ended up.

Temperance read Amy's address from the screen. "Why does that address seem so familiar?" she asked, half to herself.

"It's on the same street as the convention center," Hodgins answered. "There was a forensic sciences conference there a year ago. Brian went to it, remember?"

Temperance nodded. "That's it," she said. And then Angela and Hodgins froze.

"That's an annual conference," Hodgins said.

Temperance glanced up at him. "Yeah, so?"

Angela picked up the ball. "The conference was held in Annapolis two years ago. I'm pretty sure it was held somewhere in Pennsylvania a few years back…"

Booth looked at them, seeing where this was going. "Are you telling me the times of death for our victims match with the locations and times of the forensic sciences conferences?"

Hodgins nodded. "But it's not just that." He turned to Angela. "You know how you get on me for my "conspiracy theory" as you call it about Brian's extra vacation time?"

Angela nodded.

"Well, part of the reason why I think that is because he gets picked to go to this conference every year."

Booth's head snapped up, at full attention. "You're telling me that Brian was in the same location as all of our victims when they went missing?"

"Well, no, not _all_ of our victims…" Hodgins said. "There's never been a conference on Chincoteague, so he wasn't anywhere near Tammy and Vince."

Angela stepped in, turning her head toward Tempe. "But didn't you tell me that Brian told you he loves Chincoteague? That he used to vacation here as a kid and now he comes back for at least one week every year?"

Temperance shook her head. "It's a coincidence," she answered.

"Odd coincidence," Booth said. "And you yourself said our killer might not live here…"

"Brian isn't a murderer!" Temperance cut in.

Booth stared at her smugly. "Now, Dr. Brennan, let's not make any snap judgments."

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	18. Ockham's Razor

Author's Note: First of all, I would like to apologize that this took so long, and I would also like to apologize because I went back and read the last chapter and found that my computer decided to delete practically all of my question marks. Also, I would like to thank you for all the reviews, they really cheered me up. I got my grades back for last semester this week and I got all A's...except for creative writing, in which I got a B. Irony. It was nice reading all your reviews after that telling me that I don't completely suck (which was more or less what my professor told me). Anyway, enough whining, just for your info, Ockham's Razor, which obviously comes up in this chapter, is a real thing. If you want to know more about it send me a message or look it up...Wikipedia has a good explanation of it. I think you guys might like this one. :-) Enjoy...

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The next morning found Temperance, Booth, Angela, and Hodgins back to the NASA lab that had become their second home. Temperance and Booth were avidly avoiding one another, their silences only briefly broken when they took the time to make rude comments to one another. Angela and Hodgins were working on ignoring both of them. Angela worked with Booth on fine tuning the face for the last girl from the Refuge, while Hodgins bent with Tempe over the girl's remains, their eyes scanning for any miniscule detail they may have missed. The bones had a great deal of damage due to animals, therefore gleaning information from them was proving difficult.

"Any information that could help us narrow down our search?" Angela asked, her eyes still glued to the hand sketched picture in her hands.

"Victim was between the ages of 21 and 26, female, and was about…" Temperance glanced on the notes she had made on a small pad. "…5'6" to 5'8" tall. African decent."

"She was at the Refuge for at least five years," Hodgins added.

"And she broke her leg when she was a child. More than likely between the ages of 7 and 10," Temperance said.

"So, that narrows the search down to any girl in the country who is black and who might have fallen down at some point," Booth said in a frustrated tone. "Oh, and she was also an average height. Well, gee, I don't know _why_ we're having such a hard time figuring out who she is…"

"What do you want, Booth? This is all the bones are giving us," Temperance snapped.

"I want _a name_!" Booth replied.

"Then find one! That's _your _job," Temperance bit back.

Booth regarded her with a fierce gaze. "I could. Or I could just call your boyfriend and ask for the name of the girl he killed five years ago."

Temperance slammed her notebook onto the table. She was about to fire back a reply when Angela stopped her. "Tempe…"

Anger flared in Temperance's eyes, but she held her tongue. She roughly grabbed her notebook and began furiously looking at the bones.

Booth had a smugly satisfied grin. He opened his mouth to speak as well, but was stopped by a warning look from Hodgins. Booth shrugged and turned back to the computer screen.

Angela and Hodgins exchanged a tired look. They had been playing referee to their two co-workers for hours, and both were growing very, _very_ tired of it.

The room dropped into a tense quiet, broken only by the steady clicking of Booth as he surfed the national archives. After about ten minutes, Temperance snapped.

"Could you click _any_ louder over there, Booth? Seriously, because it's doing wonders for my concentration!"

Booth flared. "Sure. Just give me Brian's number and I won't have to search the archives anymore!"

"What, you didn't see it when you were deleting it from my phone?"

"BOOTH! TEMPERANCE!" Angela shouted. "Cut it out!"

Temperance and Booth rallied on, ignoring Angela's words. "You should _thank_ me for deleting his name! I saved you from having to have a conversation with a killer!"

Temperance threw her hands in the air, her notepad flying unnoticed from her hand as she did so. "This is ridiculous! Yesterday you were convinced that Kate and Charlie Ribald were the killers, and now it's Brian?"

"He's the logical choice! Don't you find it a little strange that he just happened to start dating you when you started working on this case? _His_ case?"

"First of all, I was dating him _before_ you presented this little gem of a case to me, and secondly, he didn't just _choose_ to start dating me, Booth! I was involved, too!"

"Wake up and smell the coffee, Bones, he played you! He's a sick killer, and now he's going to protect himself by hiding behind one of the main people who can nail his ass!"

"Odd that you mention coffee, considering yesterday the owners of the coffeehouse were the 'only logical choice' as suspects! That's the problem, Booth! Acting on instinct leads to mistakes!"

"Amen to that!" Booth screamed back, making it clear to Temperance that he wasn't referencing the case.

Temperance stared at him in anger, pain flashing though her eyes as she did so, but before Booth could register the look, Angela cut in. "Both of you stop! This is ridiculous! You've been screaming at each other for HOURS now, and it's gotten you nowhere! So, from now on, these are the rules: no yelling, no fighting, and no biting or condescending remarks! If you can't speak civilly to one another, then don't speak at all! Hodgins and I are sick of hearing the two of you bicker! Be productive and talk about the case or SHUT UP!"

"Amen to that," Hodgins said from his seat. Booth shot him a warning glare.

"Fine," Temperance answered. "Let's talk about the case, then."

"Great," Booth said, his tone harsh. "Let's start with the fact that Brian is our killer."

Temperance lurched in her seat as if she were about to physically attack Booth, but Angela instantly put up her hand and shot her a look to freeze her. "Alright, let's start with that. Why do you think Brian _might be_ the killer?"

Booth settled back in his seat, lacing his fingers behind his head. "He makes sense. He was in the same location as the victims when they went missing, he has a connection to Chincoteague, and he keeps "checking in" by calling Bones. He's worried about something; he had the opportunity. He's the reasonable choice."

Angela then turned to Temperance. "And why do you think that Brian _might not be_ the killer?"

Temperance dropped her notebook back onto the table and crossed her arms. "Several reasons; first, there is no evidence that suggests Brian was actually around any of the victims before they went missing. Just because he was in the same city doesn't mean he even saw them. Also, he wasn't even in the same city as Tammy and Vince, and Amy went missing two weeks ago when Brian was in New York _a year_ ago. On top of that, there's the question of motive. Brian had no reason to want any of these random kids dead."

"Every one of the victims so far worked at a service related job," Booth pointed out. "Most were waitresses, and one was a cashier. Think about the girls at the coffeehouse; teenagers have no money, so when they get jobs, they work a lot of hours. Meeting any of these kids wouldn't have been difficult."

"There's no guarantee that Brian even went any of the places where the kids worked; he was in those cities so that he could attend a conference!" Temperance interjected.

Booth replied. "He wouldn't have been at the convention center the entire time! They hold them in cities so people can have something to do when they aren't in meetings. He would have been wandering in the city at some point, and there's a good chance he would have been in places like the ones where these kids worked."

"Fine," Temperance conceded. "Let's say he _did_ meet the victims. So what? Hundreds of people a day go in restaurants in cities; Brian has no more connection to these kids than any of those other people. And, on top of that, we don't just have the bones of kids! What about the osteoporosis bones? How do you explain those? And you still don't have a theory for motive!"

"Sexual predator," Booth said, with a slight shrug. "Lonely guy, attractive young girls, maybe he had some fantasies that got away from him and people got hurt. You said yourself that there was evidence of sexual assault. And, on top of that, you said the victims had breaks that indicated that they were pushed into a confined space. He must have been putting them in the trunk of his car for transport."

"If he murdered them in different cities at different times, why would he bring them all to Chincoteague? Why not bury them wherever he killed them? And if one sexually fantasy just got out of control, why would he do it repeatedly for years?" Temperance asked.

"Maybe it just gives him some kind of sick high. He feels comfortable with Chincoteague, so maybe he felt safer bringing them here. He vacations here every year, so maybe it's his way of protecting himself; he can come back every year and remind himself that he's still safe."

Temperance groaned. "That's insane! And what about the Ribalds? Why are they suddenly off the hook?"

"I saw Charlie Ribald yesterday; he had no reservations about letting me look in the basement. He wasn't hiding anything. He wasn't acting like a man who was a murderer."

"So maybe he didn't kill the girl in the basement; that doesn't mean he didn't kill the others. We could be dealing with more than one case."

"We aren't," Booth answered simply.

Temperance sighed loudly. "You don't know that, Booth."

"It doesn't feel right," he answered.

Temperance felt her anger jump higher. "That doesn't mean anything! Look at the evidence; the other bodies were buried, and this one wasn't. The other bodies were simply left, this one was surrounded with limestone. The other bodies were places outdoors, this one was placed indoors. The killer in the case of Amy had to actually break into a building to leave her! That doesn't fit the profile!"

Booth threw up his hands. "Okay! Fine! How about this, then; Brian killed some of the victims, and the Ribalds killed the others. In fact, the Ribalds killed Amy, which is why nothing was stolen from the shop. They wanted to kill her, but waited until they had a convenient cover, which came when we breezed into town working on a serial murder case. They were asking us questions at dinner so they could learn our killer's style and imitate it to throw us off their scent."

Temperance shook her head. "That's not what happened."

Booth paused for a moment. "And how exactly would you know that?"

"Ockham's Razor," Temperance answered, as if this explained everything.

Angela cut in after a moment's pause. "Okay, I'll ask. Hey, Tempe, what's Ockham's Razor?"

Temperance gave a slight sigh before she began explaining. "Ockham's Razor is a principle. Put simply, it means that all things being equal, the simplest answer tends to be the right one. Sort of like the shortest point between two distances is a straight line; if something can be explained in one or two steps, it's more correct than trying to explain the same phenomenon in four or five steps."

The three stared back at her before Booth spoke. "Okay. Now, how is that relevant?"

"Your theory requires multiple 'maybes' and a series of conditions that are highly unstable. In order for you to be correct, a very complex set of requirements must be met. Therefore, since a simpler answer can be found, your theory is by nature unstable and inherently flawed."

Hodgins cut in. "What's your simpler theory?"

"I don't know completely yet, but obviously someone picked these people because they shared some sort of common feature, a feature that more than likely tied them to Chincoteague. Therefore, they were killed. We just have to figure out what the feature is. These might be different cases all together; that would also be a simpler theory."

Booth shook his head. "Just because a theory is complicated, that doesn't mean it's wrong."

"Just because a theory is convenient, that doesn't mean it's right."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Angela, Hodgins, Booth, and Temperance managed to find an ID for the last body from the refuge. The girl's name was Molly Cobb. She was 23 years old when she went missing in her hometown of Richmond, VA. Just like all the other victims, she had been a beautiful girl who had gone missing in broad daylight; she had recently graduated from college, and was working as bartender before she was killed. 

The group made the appropriate calls and sent the body to Zach who was going to prepare the necessary DNA testing, although thanks to the condition of the bones, Temperance felt sure that they wouldn't glen much information from doing so. After the Jeffersonian was done with the remains, they would be sent back to Molly's home for burial.

Finding the ID for the last body at the Refuge did little to relieve the tension; instead of feeling as though they had accomplished something, the four only felt like bigger failures. Six people were dead; six people who had barely begun to have lives. The age range for the victims, excluding the still unexplained osteo bones, was fifteen to twenty-three.

Temperance and Booth continued to bicker with one another, and Angela and Hodgins were both too stressed to intervene. They stopped trying at dinner, and by the time the meal was over, the people at the neighboring tables were shooting the group menacing looks.

They arrived back at the hotel and gathered in Booth and Hodgins' room for a while. Everyone was on edge; although they had been working on this case for quite a while now, everyone felt slightly lost. They had their ID's, now they weren't quite sure what they should do.

The bickering between Booth and Tempe wasn't helping anything, and by 9:30 Angela was ready to kill them both.

"I'VE HAD IT!" she finally shrieked, stopping Booth and Temperance who were arguing over some meaningless statement _again_. "I can't take anymore of this! You two are _adults_, and you should be able to handle your problems! I'm sick and tired of being a damn referee to you two! And so, for the rest of the night, I'M NOT DOING IT ANYMORE!" She turned to Hodgins. "Screw plans! Screw letting them figure it out on their own!" She was waving her hands madly in the air as she turned back to the brooding Booth and Temperance. "Here's what's going to happen!" She grabbed Booth's key from the table. "We are taking your room keys. You are both going to stay in this room until you can figure out a way to be civil! You have to figure something out, because the constant fighting is driving me INSANE!" And, with that, she grabbed the hand of a rather stunned Hodgins, and dragged him out of the room. "Talk!" she shouted, and then she slammed the door behind her, leaving Booth and Temperance alone inside.

Booth and Tempe stood silently, surveying one another for a moment. Finally, Booth sighed and said, "alright. I guess we do have to figure something out here."

His tone was gruff. Temperance gave a slight nod. "Fine. What do you suggest we do?"

Booth shrugged and looked at the floor. "I don't know."

"Neither do I," Tempe answered. They both avoided the other's eyes.

Temperance sighed. "Listen, Booth…"

Booth stopped her. "Why haven't you dumped him?"

Temperance was momentarily caught off guard by his directness. "I haven't seen him," she answered.

Booth shook his head. "No. Don't give me that. You've talked to him on the phone, you saw him before we left, and you've had plenty of other opportunities! Why haven't you just told him that it's over?"

Temperance shook her head. "It's more complicated than that, Booth, and you know that!"

"How?" Booth practically shouted. "How is it complicated? I broke up with Meg over the phone!"

Temperance began to grow more angry. "No. Meg broke up with _you_."

"What's the difference?" Booth shouted back. "The point is, it ended simply over the phone. Why haven't you done the same thing with Brian?"

Temperance's tone was like steel. "My conversations with him have been limited. It seems that I had some problems getting my messages."

Booth's eyes flared, and his voice matched hers in eerie stillness. "Don't give me that. If you wanted to break up with him, you would have."

"Maybe I don't want to," she bit back.

"He's a prick," he growled.

"_He's my boyfriend."_ Temperance saw the rage flare in Booth's eyes.

"Dump him."

Booth was standing directly in front of Temperance now. "It's more complicated than that," she answered, her voice harder than diamonds and completely unyielding.

"No, it's not," he replied, his voice just as harsh. He spoke in a tone that was barely above a whisper as they were standing very close to one another.

She looked at him, indignant. "And how you know that?" she hissed.

"Ockham's Razor." And, with that, he aggressively captured her lips with his.

Temperance's hands flew to Booth's face as his fingers firmly clutched her waist. Without really knowing how they got there, Booth soon realized that he had pinned Temperance against the hotel wall. They kissed each other with unbridled passion, the fire of their rage igniting their reactions to one another. Booth's tongue impaled Temperance's mouth as her hands dug throw his hair, grabbing at him, forcing him closer. She felt herself gasp as Booth's hands shifted and found their way under her shirt so they were resting on the bare skin that covered her ribcage. Pressed against the wall, she could feel his excitement growing quickly, and she felt all of her control fade away as well.

His hands pushed at her shirt, and soon she found that it was laying a crumpled pile on the floor, along with Booth's shirt and her bra. Pressing skin to skin, all things that were not Booth lost meaning. Names like Zach, Angela, Meg, and Brian meant nothing to her. The faces of the Ribalds and the pictures of the six victims leaked from her mind. Theories, answers, and questions suddenly lost all importance. They only thing that was important was Booth, who was now touching her, caressing her, and pushing against her with such delicious pressure that she felt she would crumble from the feeling of it. Her body ached where he did not touch her.

Booth felt her hands move as well, and within moments he felt her hands impatiently struggling with the waistband of his pants. He reached for hers as well, but a moment later she had torn the button from the front of the fabric and, ignoring the zipper, had slipped her hands inside, touching him in ways that made his breathing stop while simultaneously causing him to groan into her mouth. His reaction to her caused her rock her still clothed hips against him, and he suddenly realized that her touch was enough to make him explode within seconds. He was painfully aroused now, and he grabbed at her wrists to still her movements.

He fought with waist of her pants then, and moments later they both managed to rid one another of the clothing that had been in their way. It lay now, scattered about the room, ignored by the pair who were still desperately exploring one another with movements that were not at all tentative or inhibited. Their screaming at one another now seemed calm and friendly in comparison to the passion, the unfiltered need that they expressed toward one another.

When Booth felt he couldn't handle any more, he grabbed Temperance's waist and, pushing her slightly harder into the wall, slid her up higher. She instantly responded, as her legs surrounded his waist, clutching him, and Booth quickly thrust forward.

They both froze for a moment, eyes closed, as the sensation of being one enveloped them. Momentarily paralyzed, both were in complete awe of the feeling.

Booth remained frozen a moment longer, and Temperance began to whimper slightly, her hips moving against his with lust and desperation. Booth groaned, his fogged brain barely even able to form Temperance's name, as he began to move as well.

All either could do was groan and gasp as they moved by instinct, their mouths barely separated, breathing in one another's air. Temperance wrapped her arms firmly around Booth's neck, and they panted as they moved.

Before long, the movements increased in speed, and soon they were both thrashing against one another in ecstasy. Booth felt her release, and the erotic sound of her pleasure caused his release to immediately follow.

They stayed still for a moment, out of breath, their sweat mingling as they held onto one another. A short time later, they shifted so that Temperance was standing on the ground, though her arms still remained linked around Booth's neck, and Booth's arms still sturdily encircled her waist.

Temperance inclined her head slightly upwards a short time later, and her lips met Booth's a beautifully deep and meaningful kiss that did not break. She thought she could feel his heart pounding his chest, although she couldn't be entirely sure that it wasn't her own, and before long she and Booth found themselves sinking into the mattress on the bed, holding on another and kissing as they did so. Their was a peace to their movements now, though a short time later, when Booth began to feel a familiar stirring and the two moved under the blankets, the fire returned.

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I think we both know that you want to review now 


	19. When Ockham's Razor Bites You in the Ass

Author's Note: Thanks for all the amazing reviews. You guys are the best. Okay, now, about this chapter...let me tell you, it has it all! Cars driving at high speeds, explosions, an alien encounter...okay, yeah, I'm lying. Actually, this chapter isn't all that exciting (insert your anger here). I needed to establish some emotional ground to propel us through the rest of the fic, and so that's pretty much what this is. I did give you a fun chapter title, though. :-) Please try not to hate me too much for it, as I have a feeling a lot of you won't be on board with it. Just trust me when I tell you that there is a reason for everything I am setting up. Seriously. It's all important...that is, it's all important except for the extra crap I just threw in for fun. :-) Anyway, read now, hope it's okay...

* * *

Dr. Temperance Brennan, accomplished forensic anthropologist, acclaimed author, and employee of the Jeffersonian, woke the next morning staring at the back of Booth's head. And she instantly felt like teenager who had given it up in the back of a Monte Carlo after the homecoming game. Booth was still sound asleep, and a quick glance at the clock informed her that it was only 6:17am. Temperance was momentarily surprised that she had woken up so early; her activities with Booth had kept them both up rather late. Being careful not to wake the sleeping form beside her, she slowly extracted herself from the sheets.

In the soft morning light, she felt slightly embarrassed to be standing naked in a hotel room, and she quickly searched about for her various articles of clothing that were now scattered on the floor. She then moved into the bathroom, where she quickly got dressed. When she exited the bathroom, Booth was still snoring softly under the rumpled sheets and blankets.

Temperance gazed at his face for a moment. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, serene. His face twitched slightly, and his eyes fluttered in such a way that Temperance knew he must be dreaming, and she felt a warm sensation in her chest. She knew it was wrong to stare, that she should either wake him up or leave him alone, but she found that tearing her eyes away was easier said than done. She felt a strong desire to smooth his sheets and to reposition his pillow. She shook her head, as if doing so would clear her mind, like it was an Etch-A-Sketch. Mingling with the desire to touch him, she felt strong feelings of regret; things would be different now. The dynamic had changed, and there was no going back. Even if she and Booth did choose to forget about this, the knowledge would still remain. They knew each other now in the most intimate way imaginable physically. _'This is wrong!'_ half of her brain proclaimed, as the other half countered, _'it felt too right to be completely wrong.'_

She sighed, softly. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and she had the sudden urge to be alone, to think. She turned and quietly padded to the door. Just before she reached the handle, something on the floor caught her eye. A button; the button from the front of Booth's pants. She remembered how it got there, and though a light blush rose to her cheeks, she reached down to pick it up, and quickly pushed it into her pocket.

She used the stairs to climb one floor up to the room she and Angela had been sharing. She still had her room key, and she quietly let herself in. Hodgins and Angela were still asleep, and Temperance quietly pulled a tee shirt and shorts from her bag. She changed quickly and silently in the bathroom, gathering her hair in a messy ponytail, and grabbed her sneakers as she left the room again.

The morning air on the island was still and heavy with dew, and Temperance inhaled in deeply, instantly feeling as though she had been cleansed. The air on the island felt pure. After a few obligatory stretches, Temperance chose a direction and began to jog.

Booth woke up at about 7:00am to find that he was in bed alone. He gazed about the room, and when he noticed that Temperance's clothes were gone, he dropped back down, burying his face in a pillow. The smell of her hair still clung to the sheets, and he inhaled deeply. With a sigh, he pulled himself up from the bed and dragged himself into the bathroom, where he showered and shaved. He threw on a tee shirt and an inviting looking pair of jeans that were soft due to years of laundering. Running a comb through his damp hair, he made his way around the room, picking up his clothes from the night before. He saw his pants, which now needed the help of a needle and thread before they could be worn again, and smiled faintly as he tossed them carelessly on top of his suitcase. When he had finished straightening, he slid his feet into a pair of sneakers, ignoring the fact that he didn't have any socks on, and exited the room to walk downstairs to the lobby for the morning paper.

The clock behind the front desk read 7:34, and he picked up a paper and a cup of coffee before entering the elevator and pushing the button for his floor. When the metal doors whooshed open, he exited and approached the door to his room. It was then that he remembered how last night had begun. Angela had his key.

With a barely stifled groan, he headed back to the elevator and rode up one more floor to Angela and Hodgins' room. He knocked loudly, knowing that they would still be asleep.

A few moments later, the door was wrenched open by a grumpy looking Hodgins. "Why are you banging on my door?" he demanded, as he ran a hand over his weary face.

Booth heard the shower running and knew Angela was already awake. Apparently, Hodgins hadn't been. "Your girlfriend stole my key, and now I'm locked out of my room."

"Dr. Brennan won't let you back it?" Hodgins surveyed Booth for a quick moment. "Dude."

"Since when do you say 'dude'?" Booth questioned.

"You had sex," Hodgins stated.

Booth ignored the perception, sticking his head into the room. "Bones isn't here?" he asked, puzzled.

Hodgins closed the door after Booth walked in. "Uh, no, she was with you," he answered.

Angela stepped out of the bathroom then, her hair still wet, dressed in a tee shirt and loose fitting sweatpants. "Morning," she said as she rubbed her head with a towel. She looked at Booth. "What are you doing here?" She gave him a quick once over, and a smile broke over her face.

Before she could say anything, there was a loud rap on the hotel room door. Angela reached for it, her eyes never leaving Booth, and opened it to find a very sweaty Temperance Brennan.

"I need a key to a room," she said. "I think I left mine in here."

Angela looked her over, still smiling. Hodgins looked at her as well. "Dude," he said.

Temperance glanced at him. "Dude?" she repeated, noting that it wasn't something she often heard Hodgins say.

Booth, who wasn't quite sure what he should be doing, glanced at the floor as he pushed his hands into his pockets, doing his best to look relaxed. Angela's gaze shifted between the pair, and she saw Temperance look away as well, unsure of herself, when she saw that Booth was in the room. "Can I have the key to the other room?" she asked.

Angela, who was still carefully eyeing the pair, picked the key up off the nightstand and handed it Tempe.

"Thanks," Tempe said as she accepted the small credit card like object. "I won't be long, and then we can head back to NASA."

"We can't go to the lab today," Booth said, speaking for the first time since Temperance entered.

Tempe glanced at him. "Why not?"

"It's Sunday. We don't work on Sundays," Booth answered.

Temperance sighed. "But we have to work today! We have the ID's!" she protested.

"Exactly. We have the ID's, so technically NASA isn't required to accommodate us anymore. Sorry, but if we don't do our best to keep them happy, they can kick us out now."

Angela listened to Booth and Temperance speak to one another, and mentally exhaled a huge sigh of relief. There was no vehemence to their speech now. Apparently sex had calmed their bickering, at least for now, though she did note that they both seemed uncomfortable. She smiled slightly. 'Uncomfortable' was something that could be fixed.

"So what are we supposed to do today?" Hodgins' asked.

"Same as last Sunday; anything we want, but we can't go to the lab. And, personally, I think we could all use the time off, anyway," Booth answered with a shrug.

The three squints had to agree; as eager as they were to finish work on the case, no one really knew where to go from here and they were all drained. A day off would do them good.

"Well, if it's all the same to you guys, I think I'm just going to go to the coffeehouse and write for a while," Temperance said.

Booth nodded. "I think I'm going to walk around, maybe go to the beach," he said, almost eagerly. Angela noted that Tempe looked slightly relieved.

"That sounds good," Angela said. "Hodgins and I will go with you."

"Hey, wait, I was going to say we could go see a movie or something!" Hodgins protested, but a quick look from Angela quieted him. "Or we could walk around with Booth…" He corrected.

* * *

And so, the group split up. Temperance walked to the coffeehouse, her laptop in hand, and ordered a coffee. She then settled into a chair, positioned her computer on the table in front of her, and stared at the screen, unable to think of what to write. 

As her case of writer's block began to fully express itself, she found her thoughts straying to Booth, to their arguing, to their night together, and to her conflicting feelings on the whole situation. Then she thought of Brian, and she began to feel worse. She knew she had to call him and end it; things with Booth had gone too far now, and the guilt she felt made her realize that she had to end it. And, as if that weren't enough, she hated to admit that she had a nagging fear of Brian. What if he really _was_ the killer that they had been after? She ignored the thought. Brian wasn't a killer, she rationalized to herself. His "connection" to the victims was purely coincidental.

As she sat, staring at the blinking cursor on the white screen, occasionally flicking back to reread the previous chapters that she had completed, Temperance felt her thoughts swim between Booth, Brian, and the voices of the people in the shop. There weren't many people there considering it was a Sunday morning. In fact, there were only five others that Temperance could see: a man, probably about 25 or 30, with a laptop and a cell phone, obviously doing business; a young girl, with a stud in her chin and multiple holes in her ears, with dyed black hair and black clothing who was wandering around, looking at the merchandise; an elderly couple who were drinking coffee at a neighboring table, the man reading a newspaper and the woman reading a thick, well thumbed novel; and a middle aged man who was slightly overweight, with thinning hair, who was wandering around as well, drink in hand, focusing most of his attention on a rack of novelty postcards.

The voice of the young girls behind the counter cut into Temperance's thoughts. They were talking about a guy, apparently the brunette's boyfriend, and about how they hadfought the night before. Temperance recognized Abby's voice from her previous mornings in the shop, and she felt bad for the girl. She was clearly upset about the situation with her boyfriend.

Temperance tried not to eavesdrop, but the girls voice intercut with Temperance's own musings about Booth and Brian. At one point, her thoughts drifted back to the noise in the shop, and she heard the thickset man who had been wandering around order another drink. The girls took his money, and a few moments later he was handed his beverage.

"Thanks," he said, his voice a bit high for a man's and slightly effeminate. "See you later. Bye, Abby."

After the man had left, Temperance heard the two girls resume talking. "Why is it that the guys who notice you are always guys you wouldn't date on a bet?" she heard Abby groan.

"How did he know your name?" the other girl asked as she sipped her drink, obviously ignoring Abby's statement.

Abby shrugged. "Luck?" The two laughed, and Temperance had to smile. Abby was right; why couldn't the right guys make the right moves at the right times?

* * *

As Temperance was sitting in the coffeehouse, making no progress whatsoever on her thoughts about her personal life or her newest novel, Booth was walking aimlessly on the sidewalks of Chincoteague as he talked to Angela. Hodgins had left a short time before, announcing that he was going swimming in the hotel pool. 

"So, what's going on with you and Bren?" Angela asked bluntly.

Booth's shoulders sagged slightly. "I don't know," he said miserably.

Angela almost smiled; she apparently had found the approach that worked when trying to have a heart to heart with Booth. "You slept together last night," she stated. Booth nodded. "What's the problem?"

Booth sighed. "I woke up this morning, and she was gone. And then when I saw her later in your room…I don't know, I just don't know what to do."

"Talk to her," Angela said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"I can't just talk to her," Booth said. "She'd probably just start screaming at me again. And even if I did, what would I say?" _Break up with Brian and be with me. Make me the person you have plans with every night. Talk to me for hours about what you did at work. Laugh at stupid jokes with me. Stay with me forever…_Booth was suddenly shocked by his own thoughts. Where had that come from?

"Tell her that you want to talk about last night. Tell her that it meant something to you," Angela urged gently.

Booth didn't answer, and Angela sighed. "Listen, I know that this isn't easy, okay? She's important to you. And, more than that, you have to work with her." Booth nodded silently. "But if you don't do anything, you're going to regret it." When Booth still didn't say anything, Angela stopped walking and placed her hand on his forearm, forcing him to face her. "How much are you willing to risk, Booth? She might not stay with Brian, but it's only a matter of time before another 'Brian' comes along. If you don't do something, eventually you're going to lose her. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to just let her go?"

Booth's gaze shifted to the ground, and after a beat of silence, Angela continued. "You have to try, Booth, because you can't just give her up. You love her."

"I don't love…" Booth began, but Angela cut him off when she squeezed his arm.

"Just talk to her," she said.

* * *

The day passed by lazily, but eventually night came again and the three squints and one FBI agent were ready to head back to bed. Booth and Temperance hadn't really spoken at all that day, other than general remarks in the presence of Angela and Hodgins, and both had been careful to avoid situations where they would be alone together. They were both unsure, neither knowing what to do next. It was as if they were junior high kids who had had their first kiss behind the swing set and were now hiding behind their best friends, making sure the memory didn't get tarnished by negative reactions. 

However, since Tempe had spent most of her day pretending to make progress on her book, Angela hadn't had a chance to be alone with her to talk, either. And so, when night came and it was time to head back to the rooms, Angela saw the wariness in Booth and Temperance's actions and decided to avoid any potentially damaging confrontations by suggesting that Temperance share her room again that night, and that Hodgins would share with Booth. Angela knew with certainty that Temperance and Booth were ill equipped to handle this new development in their relationship, and, partially out of fear for Booth's feelings, she was anxious to know what Temperance was thinking before she locked them together in a room again.

Hodgins had seemed slightly annoyed by the suggestion, but had agreed after Angela had whispered something in his ear that made a smile cover his face. Neither Temperance or Booth pursued the idea of what she might have told him. They said their goodnights, and the four retreated to their respective rooms. When the door had closed behind Temperance and Angela, Angela flopped down on one bed and launched into the conversation that Temperance knew was coming.

"Tell me everything," she said.

Temperance sighed, falling back onto her own bed, her arm covering her eyes. "Unbelievable," she said in a voice that was almost a groan.

Angela was taken aback by Temperance's willingness to talk, but didn't question it. "How many times?"

"Angela!" Temperance exclaimed, and Angela almost laughed. Now _that_ was the Temperance Brennan she knew. "Okay, so what was it like? Fireworks? Magic?"

Temperance's recalled the question as one Meg had asked her after her first date with Brian. When Meg had asked, she hadn't had an answer. Tonight, however, she did. "The fourth of July and Houdini," she answered.

Angela couldn't contain her smile. "This is great!" she practically squealed. "So what does this mean? You guys are a couple now, right?"

Her childish delight was shattered when Temperance sighed and then spoke. "No. It means I have to tell him that nothing else can happen, and it means that I potentially have to request a new work partner."

Angela froze, completely aghast. "_WHAT?"_

Temperance sighed heavily. "I can't do this, Ange. I don't want this."

"What are you talking about? You just told me that it was amazing; you have feelings for him! Strong feelings! Why on _earth_ would you ignore that?"

Temperance jumped up suddenly and was almost pacing. "That's the problem!" she nearly shouted.

Angela kept her voice calm, encouraging Temperance to explain. "What's the problem, Sweetie?"

Temperance dropped back to a sitting position on the bed with her elbows resting on her knees and her hands covering her face and eyes. "God, Ange, how did this happen? When did I lose control? Everything was fine. How did it all go wrong?"

Angela was now feeling confused. "Bren, you're not making any sense."

Temperance sighed, glancing up at Angela. "Do you want to know what happened last night?"

Angela was reeling from confusion and shock. "Uh…"

"We were fighting. And then he kissed me…and I lost control. Just like in the parking lot, just like in the hotel room the other morning…"

"Wait, what?" Angela asked, struggling to catch up.

"It's not like that with Brian. With Brian, I don't have a problem stopping. But with Booth…with Booth I lose control."

"You don't feel the same way about Booth and Brian," Angela said, feeling like she had at least a slight understanding of Temperance's last statement. "You care more about Booth."

"I know that," Temperance said. "That's why I've stayed with Brian."

Angela shook her head. "Can you please just stop for a minute and explain to me what you're talking about?"

Temperance sighed. "Okay, it's like this: I like things that I can understand. That's why I love science; you can see it, touch it, measure it. Everything fits together, works together. I can understand it. But something like philosophy, for example, I can't understand. There aren't any answers, there aren't any facts, there's nothing you can objectively know. It's the same way with Brian and Booth; with Brian, I can understand everything that happens. It's like an equation. I can understand it without having to pour my heart and soul into it."

"That sounds romantic," Angela said dryly.

"But with Booth, I can't do that. When I'm with Booth, I don't understand anything. It's like I'm consumed by him, absorbed. I can't control anything that happens." Temperance paused for a minute, looking down.

"So, let me see if I understand this," Angela said. "You're thinking about telling Booth that you can't see him and staying with Brian—who, may I say, you've cheated on _a lot_ this week—just because doing so will enable you to have superficial relationship where it will be harder for you to get deeply hurt?"

Temperance sighed. "I know. It's stupid. It's just…" she struggled silently for a minute before continuing. "No one lasts forever, Angela. Eventually, something happens to all of us and we have to face what it's like to lose people." She shook her head, closing her eyes as her head inclined downward. "I couldn't handle losing him."

Angela smiled faintly at her friend. "Why are you so willing to deny yourself something that would make you happy?"

"To protect him. I don't want to hurt him," she said, quietly.

Angela was shocked to see a faint tear trace down Temperance's cheek. "Sweetie…"

She swiped the tear away. "It scares me to know that someone can make me feel the way Booth does. It terrifies me that someone has that kind of power over me. I know that when all this is over, and we have to go back to D.C., I have to make a decision. Brian's easy to be with. He's the simple answer."

"Ockham's Razor?" Angela said, remembering the conversation in the lab the day before.

Temperance just dropped back on the bed with a groan and closed her eyes.

* * *

If you were thinking about reviewing, now would be the time 


	20. Missing Persons

Author's Note: Thanks for all the review to the last chapter! You guys are great. Let me apologize again for typos, etc. I didn't have to work today, so I thought I'd go to the beach and then write you guys an update...and then I ended up surfing for six hours. It was an awesome day, but I'm pretty much dead, so I'm sorry if this doesn't make alot of sense. If you find it's too terrible let me know and I'll redo it or something. Oh, and by the way...the beach was AMAZING, and I didn't even get that much sunburn. I'm going to sleep now. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

When Angela, Booth, Hodgins, and Temperance headed back to the NASA lab the following morning they did so under a sky that was as dark as the feathers on a seagull's back. The day was hot and oppressively humid to the point that just stepping outside instantly made you feel as though you were sweating. The air was thick and heavy. A storm was coming.

Although they had already managed to ID all of the remains that they had found, the group still decided to sort through the clues in their makeshift lab. In some way they almost felt as though being close to the victims would bring them equally close to the killer. And so, after the morning routine of showers, shaving, quick morning pleasantries with the coffeehouse employees, and the short drive to the lab, the four began steadily working, sifting through the missing persons files on their victims, rereading histories, studying copies of grainy photographs, and pouring over the bones they had already studied so many times. They worked steadily through the morning, but by lunchtime they hadn't made any real headway. This wasn't because they didn't have theories, but rather because each of them had a different theory, and they each viewed the pieces of evidence in ways that would be conducive to their own reasoning.

Angela was convinced that Kate and Charlie Ribald were responsible for the deaths of the six victims. Due in large part to the fact that they had lived in every location where a victim was found, Angela found the aloof and cold manner of the couple disturbing. She also noted that Charlie Ribald was about six feet tall—a height that was consistent with the likely size of whoever murdered Vince. Charlie and Kate had lived on the island for years, and Chincoteague was a small place. If the victims lived on the island, odds are they would have known the Ribalds. This would explain how the victims went missing in broad daylight. What Angela couldn't figure out was motive. Why would two people in their sixties conspire to and kill six kids? Other than off the wall and baseless theories, such as the possibility that the Ribalds envied the victims' youth, Angela had no ideas.

However, while Angela suspected the Ribalds, Booth was holding fast to his gut instinct that Brian was responsible. He did his best to think this idea through objectively, ignoring the fact that he simply disliked the man for getting in the way of him, Booth, and Bones. The truth was, however, that while he had suspected Brian for this reason alone in the beginning, he was slowly beginning to think that it wasn't such a crazy idea. Brian was known to have been in each of the places where the victims went missing, and he had a connection to Chincoteague. Booth also noted that his connection to Bones also came at an interesting time; although he had had a known crush on Temperance for years, he had never made a move. Never, that is, until right before the case began. Booth found this to be yet another of the many "strange coincidences" that were mounting in relation to Brian. Added to this was the fact that not much was known about Brian's history. The man had seemingly swept into the Jeffersonian out of nowhere. As far as the question of motive went, Booth believed Brian was a sexual predator. The largest problem Booth saw in relation to the Brian theory was the fact that the body in the coffeehouse had been found at a time when Brian was, supposedly, still in D.C. If it could be confirmed that Brian hadn't left the area around the time that the girl was murdered, Booth would be forced to come up with alternate idea.

Hodgins was of the opinion that Kate and Charlie Ribald _and_ Brian were the killers. Though he didn't have a real explanation for whether or not the three were working together, he found it odd that so much evidence pointed to them. They all had connections to the victims, to the places they were taken from, and to the place they were taken to. The odds of three people having such a strong connection to a string of six victims who spanned at least four states seemed to Hodgins to be a piece of evidence that shouldn't be ignored.

Meanwhile, Temperance was convinced that, if in fact all six murders were committed by the same person or persons, it was most certainly the work of a serial killer who saw a common thread between all of them. Since the girls and one boy were from different places geographically and from different backgrounds, Tempe assumed that there had to be some other linking factor looming beneath the surface. She searched for this thread tirelessly, but her work yielded no results. Other than the fact that the victims were young and mostly female, Temperance was having a hard time connecting them. The main linking factor she saw was that all the victims had been good looking, attractive, just as Brian had said. While this could be the common thread if the killer was a sexual predator, it didn't seem strong enough to explain the case as a whole. The osteoporosis bones still also greatly disturbed Temperance; they were so out of place, so seemingly random in connection to the other victims. Why were the bones of a person, most likely female and in her 60's, found with the remains of kids? And why only two bones as opposed to the almost full skeletons of the other victims?

By the time evening came, the only thing that the four had managed to agree on was that they wanted dinner. And so, after a day of work that turned out to be mostly unproductive, the four gathered up their paperwork and left, still debating over potential suspects as they walked to the car.

"You have to at least admit that it's strange," Booth said, "that Brian just happened to be in the right place at the right time when all of these kids went missing. Considering the physical distance _and _the distance in time…"

"He wasn't in the 'right place at the right time' for _all_ the victims," Temperance pointed out. "What about Tammy and Vince?"

"He didn't kill Tammy and Vince," Hodgins cut in. "The Ribalds did. And their bones were with the bones of the people Brian killed because the three of them are working together."

"Yeah, that's likely," Angela interjected, rolling her eyes. "We come to a tiny spit of an island to solve a case and just happen to befriend two of the killers while one of us dates the third killer. Sure, that happens _all_ the time…"

The four climbed into the SUV, Temperance and Booth occupying their usual positions in the front as Angela and Hodgins climbed into the back, and as they pulled away they took a brief timeout from their discussion of the case to figure out where they wanted to eat. After a quick discussion, they decided to go to a small independently owned Vietnamese restaurant in town.

The restaurant was small and quaint. The owner was the chef while his wife doubled as hostess and waitress. There were only a few tables, however, so the service was quick. Hodgins, Booth, Angela, and Temperance had no trouble getting a table, and, after a brief read through of the menu, they ordered and talked as they waited for their food to arrive.

As they sat, waiting, the bell over the entrance jingled and two more patrons entered the restaurant. The four from D.C. glanced up when they heard the noise and were greeted by the forms of Kate and Charlie Ribald. They were seated a moment later at a table in the corner, though thanks to the size of the restaurant, this was not far from the table that Booth and the squints occupied.

The group exchanged greetings with the Ribalds, and when the hostess/waitress/co-owner saw the two groups talking, she offered to seat them all together. The Ribalds consented, and short time later the six sat together, talking as they awaited their dinner.

The food arrived quickly, and the six began to hungrily eat. The food was good and well prepared, and after everyone had had some time to make some progress on their food, the conversation that had lagged when the meals arrived picked up again.

They were halfway through when Charlie Ribald asked, "so, have the police told you anything about Abby?"

The four looked back at Charlie in confusion. "What about Abby?" Booth inquired.

Kate moved her hand, dismissively. "It's nothing, I'm sure," she said. "She went on her lunch break today and didn't come back afterwards."

Angela looked back at the old woman, stunned. "She's missing?"

Kate shook her head. "No, not _missing_, per se. She was upset this morning over a fight she had with Eric, her boyfriend. I'm sure when she went to lunch she spoke to him and for whatever reason didn't come back."

"Is Abby the type of girl who typically misses work for no reason?" Temperance asked.

Charlie shook his head. "No, but she's a kid. We called around when she didn't come back to see if anyone had seen her, but we're sure it's nothing."

"Did you call the police?" Hodgins asked.

"Of course, but they told us that since she just skipped out on an afternoon of work, there isn't much they can do." Charlie shrugged, dismissively. "I'm sure it's nothing, I was just wondering if they had told you anything."

The squints and Booth watched the Ribalds in interest and confusion. The whole conversation seemed strange; why did the Ribalds wait until halfway through the meal to bring up the fact that one of their employees was missing? And, after bringing it up, why were they trying to change the subject as if it were nothing? It seemed odd, considering they didn't seem to want to discuss the disappearance of Abby, that they had even brought it up in the first place.

The group finished their meals, said their goodbyes, and parted company. When they were back in the SUV, the four sat quietly for a moment, all thinking about the same thing.

"That was weird," Angela said, breaking the silence. The others nodded their agreement.

"It was almost as if they just wanted to know how much we knew," Temperance said as Booth pulled the car back onto the main drag.

There was a moment of silence before Booth spoke. "Where's Brian tonight?" When Temperance gave him a sideways glance, he put up his hand defensively. "Hey, I'm just asking. I mean, if we call him we can know instantly if he has something to do with this. It's just a suggestion."

Temperance sighed. "If I call him and he's home, will you admit that he might not be the person we're after?"

"Fine. I'll admit that, if he is in fact at home, there may be a _possibility_ that he isn't responsible for this one."

"This _one_?" Temperance balked.

Booth shrugged. "It's the best I can do."

Temperance sighed and pulled out her cell phone, dialing Brian's number.

And then she hung up and dialed again.

And then she dialed again.

And again.

After five attempts, Temperance felt her heart rate increase and her nerves poise on edge. Brian hadn't answered.

* * *

The group worked on the case some more when they got back to the hotel, though their minds weren't really on the past victims. Although they did their best to dismiss it, they were all very worried about the young girl from the coffeehouse who had, only that morning, spoken to them and served them. No one pointed out that she fit in perfectly with the other victims—twenty years old, pretty, and working in a service related job. When they did mention her that evening, it was only to assure one another that she was fine, that she had just taken off for a while. They all did their best to ignore the knots that were growing in their stomachs.

By 10:30pm, the group finally admitted that they were no longer able to even pretend that they were making progress. It seemed that they had reached nothing but dead ends that day, and so they decided to call it a night. Angela and Temperance once again retreated to their room, while Booth and Hodgins changed and nestled into the room one floor below. With a sigh and a last wondering thought of where Abby could be, each of the four fell prey to the grips of the dream world.

* * *

Temperance woke up at 2:30am for what felt like the one hundredth time that night. She sighed. She had tossed and turned to the point that her sheets were a tangled mess, wrapped around her legs and spilling onto the floor. She laid silently in the darkness for a moment, hearing the rhythmic cycle of Angela's breathing in the next bed, and felt her thoughts being pulled back to Abby and the case. Although no one had admitted it, they all knew Abby was in danger. But what could they do? They had no idea who had Abby or where she might be, and it wasn't as if they could really search for her since she wasn't technically a missing person yet. Temperance tried to convince herself that everything was fine, that Abby was home by now, or maybe even with her boyfriend, but she found that she couldn't. All she could feel was a growing worry in the pit of her stomach. She remembered the condition the remains of the previous victims; if the killer had Abby now, she was about to endure Hell.

Temperance threw the covers back off her legs and swung her feet over the side noiselessly. Outside thunder rumbled, indicating that the storm that had been threatening all day was about to set in. Tempe crossed the room and slipped into a pair of jeans and a shirt. She then tip toed over to Angela's bag where she found Hodgins' keys and stuffed them, along with her cell phone, into her pocket. She crossed back to the table that sat on the far side of the room, and on the hotel stationary with a pen she scrawled a note for Angela before quietly turning and exiting the room. She doubted that she would actually find Abby, but she knew she would never be able to rest until she had at least tried to look.

* * *

Booth and Hodgins woke up at 3:30am to the sound of someone loudly banging on their door. Booth, whose bed was closest to the offending noise, shuffled over and pulled it open to Angela. He was about to snap at her for waking them in the middle of the night, but the white pallor of her face caused the words to die on his lips.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know where Temperance is," she said. She sounded almost out of breath, and Booth felt his chest constrict.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Booth asked, praying Angela had woken from a deep sleep and was confused.

Angela held out Temperance's note. It read:

_Ange-_

_Couldn't sleep, went out to see if I could find Abby. I borrowed Hodgins' car. Back later._

_T_

Booth read the note, and as he finished, Angela spoke again. "I just looked outside. The car's still here."

Booth's head snapped up. "The car's here?"

Angela nodded, numbly. "Yeah. But she isn't. I called her phone, but it's either off or has no signal. It keeps going to her voicemail. I left her messages, but she isn't calling back."

'_Oh my God, Bones, how could you be this stupid? Why did you do this?'_ Booth thought as he spun around to grab some clothes. Hodgins was already pulling on his jeans. _'You know there's a murderer running around on this little island, why would you leave in the middle of the night? Alone?'_ However, although these thoughts and more ran through Booth's head, the only verbal reply he could muster was, "shit."

* * *

And so, after getting dressed at a breakneck speed, Hodgins, Angela, and Booth stood in the parking lot.

Booth reached in the back of his SUV, pulling out the FBI standard backup gun he kept unassembled and hidden on the floor in the back. As he put it together, he spoke to Hodgins and Angela.

"Okay, here's what we'll do. I only have one extra gun, so I'll give that to the two of you." He pulled out the bulletproof vests. "Put these on. Now, technically, you aren't licensed to carry this weapon, therefore this is illegal. With that in mind, I recommend that you don't shoot unless you are absolutely sure it's necessary." Hodgins and Angela nodded, numbly. "You two head north and I'll go south." He glanced at his watch. "It's 3:45. We will meet back in this parking lot at 4:45. No excuses. If for some reason you can't be back here by then, call. I'll do the same. DO NOT GET SEPERATED. It's not going to make it easier to find Bones if we have to start looking for each other."

The two nodded again. "We'll find her," Hodgins said, his voice hard. Booth glanced at the man for a moment. He had never seen Hodgins look quite so determined. It sight gave him some comfort.

"Okay," Booth said. "One hour."

They then split up, jogging down the street in their respective directions.

* * *

At 4:15am, Booth began to pray. '_Let her be alright,'_ he mentally begged. _'Christ, where is she? Bones, where are you? Please, God, just let me find her. Let her be fine. Make this all a misunderstanding. I want her to yell at me for looking for her. I want this to not be happening. Where are you, Bones? How could you have been this stupid? God, just show me where she is. Lord, please don't let this be real. Make this a bad dream. Let me wake up now. Where the hell are you, Bones? Please, God, let me wake up now…'_

Booth had been running since he split up with Hodgins and Angela, and the humidity in the air from the rain that had still not yet begun to fall caused him to sweat profusely. His shirt stuck to his chest and arms, and his jeans made him feel as though he were wearing ski pants on the beach in August. His muscles were taut with adrenaline as he searched, his ears perceiving every sound and every thought of a sound, as he moved.

He eventually found that he had run almost all the way to the Refuge. He glanced at his watch. 4:32am. There was no way he would make it back to the hotel in time. He mentally cursed himself, staring quickly about at the stand of trees that loomed nearby. He walked a few steps forward and saw the dim outline of the visitor's center in the distance. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in Angela's number.

"Find anything?" she said when she answered, not even bothering to say hello, worry lacing her voice.

"No. I'm not going to make it back in time. Meet at 5:15," he said.

"Okay," she answered, and then they clicked off the phone.

Booth walked forward a little farther. He felt his senses go into high alert, though he wasn't sure why. And then he heard it; an almost indiscernible noise, like the strangled cry of a young woman. '_BONES!'_ his brain screamed, but he didn't make a sound, freezing listening for the sound again, trying to discern its origin. He ran silently, trying to reach the visitor's center. Since it was the only building he could see, he felt certain that the sound was coming from there. He heard the cry again, and his steps quickened. Then he heard another sound, and he froze. It sounded like a footstep, someone moving nearby.

Booth tried to duck behind a tree. He tried to move into a concealed place, to get out of the line of sight, so he could listen for who was moving nearby. But he was too late. Before he had time to move, he heard the sickening thud of hard object connecting with the back of his head. He saw stars explode behind his eyes and felt his knees give out. He was unable to see the face of his attacker before he slipped into darkness.

* * *

Review if you want to


	21. Casualties

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I always enjoy seeing what you guys think. Alot of you said you were eagerly awaiting this update since the last chapter ended witha cliffhanger...well, let's just say that if that cliffhanger bothered you, you're probably going to be flat out _pissed_ over how this chapter ends. :-) Some of you know who did it by now, and those of you who don't are about to find out...I was thinking about making Zach the killer for a while, but I changed my mind ;-) Anyway, sorry for typos and such, hope you enjoy this one...

* * *

Before Booth was even able to open his eyes, his brain registered the sharp pain of the swollen lump that had formed on the back of his head. He groaned in pain, unable to stop the sound from emanating from him. The agony of the pounding in his brain when he moved was severe enough to make him want to retch on the floor, and so he held himself perfectly still, praying for the piercing ache to subside. It ebbed, slowly, and eventually Booth found that he was able to open his eyes.

His senses slowly returned, and Booth was soon able to realize that he was limply pressed against a cool concrete floor that was covered in large stains that were a mixture of yellows, browns, and black. The odor of the room reached his nostrils then, and Booth swallowed a shallow gulp of the stagnant air. The stench was a mixture of gasoline and stale motor oil, combined ever so subtly with the scent of burnt rubber and heat. _'A garage,'_ his brain registered. _'I'm in some kind of auto shop or garage.'_

Booth allowed his eyes to scan the room then. It was not a large space, and on the far side of the room Booth saw a staircase that led up to another level. He took another deep breath and detected the rich aroma of dirt—the garage was underground, or at least partially underground. On the side of the room opposite the staircase, Booth saw a small door that appeared to be a service entrance. In the dim light of the room, Booth could just make out the outline of a concrete staircase that lead from the door way to the ground level above. Directly over Booth's head was what appeared to be a portion of the ceiling that could move. After a moment's contemplation, Booth registered that this must be how the vehicles in need of repair were lowered into the room. The room itself was cluttered haphazardly with random tools and equipment. Although it looked like a fairly ordinary shop, Booth noted that most of the tools seemed to be old or broken; apparently the shop was one that wasn't used all that often.

He tried to move, but found that he was unable due to the bindings that were securely wrapped, tied, and tapped around his wrists and ankles. He struggled for a brief moment, but the soreness of his body from lying in the unnatural position coupled with the pounding staccato beat in his head soon caused his movements to cease.

It was then that Booth glanced over and saw that he was not alone in the dirty room. Lying a short distance away from him, bruised and also bound, Booth saw the form of a woman. The room was somewhat lit, though not brightly, and for a moment Booth's fogged brain couldn't quite make out who he was seeing. His first thought was that it was Bones, but after a closer inspection he noted that the form slumped on the floor wasn't his partner. A few moments later the sight clicked into place in his thoughts and Booth realized that he was staring at the unconscious, possibly dead, form of Abby Stevenson.

* * *

Temperance walked into the hotel parking lot at 4:53am. After she had left the note for Angela, she had realized that looking for a girl who was more than likely being held in a concealed area in a car was impractical, and she had decided to search on foot instead. Her search had not yielded any results, and after consulting her watch, she decided that she should head back to the hotel before Hodgins, Angela, and Booth missed her. She was, therefore, very surprised when, upon arriving in the parking lot, she was greeting by Hodgins and Angela, both of whom lunged toward her, demanding to know if she was alright, and asking where Booth was.

When Temperance responded that she had no idea where Booth was, she was met with two confused and worried stares. Hodgins and Angela then proceeded to explain what had happened, about finding her note, about seeing that the car wasn't missing, and about organizing a makeshift search team to find and rescue her. The three tried to call Booth then, to explain that it everything was fine, to state that Temperance was back, but when the phone was answered they were not met with Booth's voice. They were, in fact, not answered by any voice; whoever answered on the other end of line said nothing and hung up only a few seconds after answering.

It was then that Temperance became worried. "Something happened to him," she said.

"How do you know that?" Angela asked, though her voice sounded as though she didn't entire disagree with Temperance's statement.

Temperance just shook her head, and Angela and Hodgins didn't push. Both of them felt the same nagging fear; all was not well.

"We need to go look for him," Temperance stated.

And so, much as they had when they thought Temperance had fallen prey to the killer, the three squints worked out a quick plan to find Booth. Temperance took Angela's cell phone since hers had died, explaining why Angela had been unable to reach her, and since Hodgins and Angela already wore the protection of vests, they gave Temperance the gun. The group split up and went their separate ways again, searching for the AWOL FBI agent.

* * *

Booth struggled to workthe bindins loose from his handsas his eyes remained glued to Abby's unmoving form. He prayed for the young girl to be alright as he attempted to work his way free, but after a few long minutes he found that he was trapped. Whoever had tied him up had done a good job; the restraints held just as tightly as they had when Booth had first woken up.

Booth stopped struggling for a moment and focused his attention fully on the girl on the ground near him. _'She's so young,'_ he thought. He felt anger rise in him at whoever had done this. This was a young girl, a child, who was having her life taken from her. Booth suddenly began to struggle again as the righteous indignation rose in his chest. _'The bastard won't get away with it this time,'_ he vowed. He continued to struggle until he finally felt the sticky warmth of his own blood leak from where the restrains were straining against his fighting hands and wrists. He didn't feel the pain as he continued to strain and struggle. Outside, he was able to perceive the heavy sound of fat raindrops as the sky finally broke open, bathing the island in heavy rain.

He thought of Temperance then. _'Bones,'_ his brain said, as if she could actually hear him. _'I'm sorry.'_ He realized then that she was still out there somewhere, possibly at the hands of the monster as he lay there, and he began to struggle harder. Images of Temperance echoed through his brain. Temperance in the lab, her eyes intensely studying a set of remains. Temperance in her office, fighting with him and then almost kissing him. Temperance in the passenger seat of his SUV, pouting because he wouldn't let her drive. Temperance standing in the doorway of her apartment, looking at him with disdain on the morning when he had woken her up to go recover the last of the bodies from the Lambert case. Temperance's expression after he kissed her for the first time in the hotel parking lot. Temperance sleeping, her face peaceful and angelic. Temperance in his room, the first and only night they were together. He smiled faintly as he recalled their trip to the movies. He remembered how she laughed, free of self-consciousness, her eyes lighting up like a child's. His heart broke when he remembered that she could be in pain right now, or worse, dead. _'I'm sorry, Bones,'_ he thought again as he continued to struggle with his restraints.

Booth's eyes roved over the limp form of Abby once again. In the dim light, he wasn't sure of she was breathing. He silently prayed that she would move, or groan, or cough, or do _anything_ that would assure him that she was still alive, that there was still hope. The girl's body didn't flinch.

Booth's thoughts moved to Parker. What would happen to his son if he was unable to get free? _'Don't think that,'_ his brain demanded, but Booth found that he was unable to obey his own order. He fought harder with the materials that sliced his wrists; he had to get free. Parker needed a Daddy; if for no other reason, he had to survive for his son.

Booth heard footsteps on the concrete then. His eyes moved to the service door. It was open slightly, and Booth realized that either the door was not alarmed or the alarm had been broken or overridden. He found harder with his wrists as he saw the outline of a person come into focus.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Temperance asked into the cell phone.

"No," was Hodgins' flat reply. The three squints were growing desperate; despite their numerous attempts, they were still unable to reach Booth. His phone was ringing, so they knew it had service and a working battery, but no one answered it when it rang. It was now 5:33am; they had been searching for over a half hour.

'_God, Booth, where are you?'_ Temperance mentally demanded as she ran. She mentally berated him for searching for her in the first place. If he had stayed at the hotel, none of this would be happening. She then cursed herself. If _she_ had stayed in the hotel, none of this would be happening, either. She felt her ragged breathing, and she knew she needed to slow down to swallow some air, but she ran through the need for oxygen. She refused to stop just because she need to breath. Her thoughts were completely on Booth as she ran and searched.

As Temperance ran, the sky opened up, and a heavy rain began to cascade down from the heavens.

* * *

Booth stopped struggling when the man fully entered the room. He looked vaguely familiar, thought at first Booth wasn't sure why. He was a heavy set man, probably in his forties, with thinning hair and a deranged look in his eyes. He ignored Booth at first and leaned over Abby, studying her.

"Wake up, Sweetheart, it's me," the man cooed. His effeminate voice made Booth's stomach turn, and he shifted slightly.

Booth's motion caused the man to look over at him, as if he had forgotten that the FBI agent was there. When his face turned completely to meet Booth's, the man's identity clicked into place in Booth's brain.

"_Excuse me, miss? I think you dropped this..."_

Booth stared at the man, bile rising in his throat, as he remembered. The guy from the coffeehouse parking lot…the guy with the five dollar bill…Booth began to struggle again, and the man's deranged face watched him curiously.

As the man watched Booth, Abby moaned from her position on the floor. Booth's eyes were on her instantly. She was alive! However, when Booth saw the expression in the man's manic eyes, he suddenly wondered if this was a good thing.

The man was at Abby's side in an instant. "It's me, honey. It's alright," he cooed. Abby only released a terrified, strangled cry in response.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Booth shouted, his rage exploding as he fought with the restraints.

The man eyed him strangely, as if Booth were the one who was crazy. "I'm not leaving her," he said. "We're going to be together."

Booth stared at the man in horrified shock, realizing that he was staring into the eyes of a truly deranged and insane man. "You're a murderer," Booth fired back. He saw anger flash in the killer's eyes. _'Good,'_ his brain urged. _'Make him focus on you. Make him leave her alone until you can get free to help her.'_

"You're trying to keep us apart," the man said, his voice chillingly smooth and calm. "You're trying to keep her from loving me."

"You're a monster!" Booth spat back.

"I'm not a monster," the man said, his voice still at an even pitch. "I'm saving her. I'm taking her away because I love her and because we are going to be together." The man rested his hands on the girl's upper arm, and she whimpered in terror.

Abby was now turned so that Booth could see her eyes. They seemed to plead with him for help, and Booth was suddenly at a loss, realizing his uselessness. Unless he could get free, chances were they both were going to die. He tried to distract the man some more, trying to buy more time as he fought with the material around his wrists.

"If you loved her, you'd let her go," Booth said. He tried to keep his voice calm as well. Perhaps if he appealed to the sick man's sense of deranged reason, he could help the young girl.

The man rose from his crouched position beside Abby, staring at Booth. "You got in the way," he said, his voice showing the first traces of anger.

Booth fought harder with his wrists. "Just let her go. Untie her so she can go with you."

The man continued to stare at Booth as if he hadn't heard his words. "I was going to take her away, and then messed it all up. You came between us."

"If you love her, you'll untie her so she can be with you," Booth almost begged.

The man reached his hand around his back and pulled the gun he had taken from Booth out from where he had been holding it in the waistband of his pants. "We were going to leave together the other day. But you stood there and got in the way. You made me wait."

Booth eyed the gun, _his _gun. It was loaded. "Let her break up with her boyfriend so she can leave with you. If you let her break up with him, no one will get in your way anymore and you can be together."

"He never loved her," the man snarled as he began to advance toward Booth. "And neither do you. You want to hurt her. You're trying to keep her away from me."

"I'm trying to help you!" Booth replied. "Listen to me and you two can go live a happy life together!"

The deranged man's face was now contorted with sudden violent anger. He nearly growled as he stared at Booth, and Booth heard Abby release another gasp of a terrified sob. At the sound, the killer froze, turn to face her. When Abby saw his face, she involuntarily sobbed again, her body unconsciously curling into a fetal position. The man regarded her for a moment, and then turned back to Booth. The look in his eyes terrified the grown FBI agent.

"You've made her afraid of me. You've upset her. I can't let you hurt her!"

The man advanced slightly closer toward Booth, and Booth heard Abby's plaintive cry of, "no! Please, stop!" from her position on the floor.

The killer froze, and he eyed his two captives. Finally, his eyes settled on Booth. "You made her stop loving me." His voice was chilling. "You turned her against me. I can't let you get in the way anymore. I have to save her from you!" The man thrust the gun forward, pressing the barrel to Booth's temple.

"No!" Abby screamed. "Don't!"

The man's voice was angry now. "She doesn't love me because of you! She's just like the others!" He snapped his head, his eyes leveling with Abby's. "Whore!" he shouted. He turned back to Booth. "Now, it's over. Now I kill you both for destroying our love!"

The man's face was deranged. He laughed slightly, his hands almost shaking, as he stood with the barrel of gun still firmly pressed to Booth's temple.

'_Abby…Temperance…Parker…I'm sorry,'_ were Booth's last thoughts before the deafening blast of a gunshot reverberated through his ears.

* * *

And that, children, is what is known as a "cliffhanger"


	22. Impurity and Angels

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews to the last chapter! Here's a sample of some of the things you guys said..."a cliffhanger that I will kill you for"; "I have an angry mob on speed dial here and I'm not afraid to push the button"; "I'll send my army of sociopathic penguins after you"; "I will hunt you down and kill you"; "you have forced me to sic my avenging furbieson you now..." yeah, so, needless to say, some of you got a little upset about that ending. :-) I'm actually just happy so many of you are into this story! Okay, about this chapter...it actually starts like a half a second before the last chapter ended. I hope you like this one. I'm pretty sure there is only going to be one more chapter after this. Oh, and if you're confused about anything that's happened, just message me and I'll do my best to explain. :-) Sorry for typos. Enjoy!

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It was a strange feeling, knowing that it was over. Booth hadn't thought that it would be. After all, he knew about death. He had seen it, even caused it, and he knew the shouts of agony, the futile pleas for more time, and the strangled deals made with God for a reprieve from the inevitability of the end. Booth had seen grown men reduced to tears, fighting to survive, to extend their existence if even for a moment longer. Somehow, since he had seen it, Booth thought that he would be more prepared. He thought that when the end came for him, he would know how to feel, what to expect. He knew that he would more than likely be reduced to a quivering mass just like all the others, but somehow he felt safer with the idea that since he knew this ahead of time, perhaps the final moment wouldn't be as hard. If he knew what was coming, he could control the pain. However, now that the end had come for him, now that it was over, Booth understood: there is nothing that can prepare you for the end.

They say that your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. This was an idea that Booth always wondered about since, theoretically, the only people who would know that this happened would be dead before they ever had the chance to tell anyone. Booth didn't see his life flash before his eyes in the eternity that stretched between the cold metal of the gun pressing to his sweaty temple and the resounding bang that followed only a moment later. What he instead saw was the future—the future he would never be a part of—as a series of snapshots. Like a slideshow, they reeled through his brain; images of Parker beside a beat up car, a newly acquired license grasped in his fingers; Parker holding a bundle of cheap flowers with sweaty palms, ringing a doorbell before embarking on his first date. He saw his son graduating from high school, and then his first day of college, and then on his wedding day. And then he saw Temperance, smiling over her shoulder, looking straight into his eyes; she was turned as if she was walking away from him. _'I don't want to die,' _he thought. _'I'm not ready to leave.'_ And yet, as this thought rocketed through his brain, he stopped struggling. An eerie sense of calm washed over his spirit, and he felt himself let go. The bang came then, and as Booth laid still, resigned to death, the only words in his brain were, _'Abby…Temperance…Parker…I'm sorry.'

* * *

_

"Oh my God," Temperance whispered into the mouthpiece of the phone. "I think I've found her. I think I see Abby."

Angela listened on the other end of the line in horror and fascination. "Where?" she asked, her voice also a whisper, though in the back of her mind she realized that it didn't matter if she spoke at a normal volume. She heard the sound of air and rain moving past the mouthpiece as Temperance quickly moved down the concrete stairs.

"The old visitor's center on the Refuge, in the…" Angela heard Temperance's voice freeze. Then she heard Temperance say, in a loud stage whisper, "oh shit!" and then, as Angela's heart began to threaten leaping through her throat, she heard the horrifying sound of air roaring over the phone, then the loud bang of a gun, and then the sound of plastic hitting concrete as the phone hit the floor and went dead.

* * *

Booth's eyes were squeezed shut when he heard the blast. He noted with some interest that he didn't feel any pain; instead, he felt a cool rush of air and the wet splashing of blood on the side of his head and face. _'It doesn't hurt,'_ he numbly thought. _'Death doesn't hurt.'_

It was then that Booth heard the sickening shout of agony. He wondered for a moment if the voice was his, but a moment later discerned that it wasn't. He opened his eyes to see the insane man from the coffeehouse crumple to the floor in pain, the gun clattering on the floor as it fell from his now bleeding hand. He landed with a heavy thud, all the while shouting in pain, clutching the fingers of his left hand around his right, which had been shot. Booth's eyes moved to the doorway then, where he saw Temperance standing, the gun still poised in her hand, aimed at the man's chest.

He thought for a moment that it was dream, that he was actually dead or in a coma and that this was just an illusion, but the shouts of his assailant as he writhed in pain seemed to real to be a mere hallucination.

The man turned his eyes to Temperance as they blazed in unholy fury. "Bitch!" he shouted, his voice choked with pain.

Booth laid motionless on the floor as the other man's blood traced lines down the side of his face. Temperance's gaze never left the murderer.

"Untie them both," she said, her voice solid and cold to the point that it frightened and chilled Booth. She kept the gun steadily leveled at the man's chest; Booth noted that her fingers didn't even shake with adrenaline.

"Kill them!" the man shouted from his position on the floor. "Their love is impure! Impurity must be destroyed!"

"Untie them. Both of them. Now." Temperance's eyes and voice were as hard as diamonds.

The man on the floor stared at her in rage, his pain forgotten even as the blood continued to come from his hand. His eyes were deranged to the point that he had and inhuman appearance, and his face was contorted into a violent snarl. "I said kill them, you whore. And then shoot yourself. You're tainted. Impure love must be destroyed."

"UNTIE THEM!" Temperance shouted. The sudden increase in volume made Abby whimper on the floor.

The crazed man threw his gaze toward the young girl, now paralyzed with fear, who lay motionless on the dirty concrete. "She must be destroyed. She is impure; she must be eradicated before her impurity festers and infects all that is good."

Temperance didn't move, still staring at him, still holding the gun steady. "Do it now," she said.

The man didn't move. And then, as Booth watched, Temperance moved the gun with a lightning quick motion, aiming it at the ground and firing. The gun was leveled back at the man's chest before the sound of the shot even had time to register in the small space. Everyone jumped at the noise; the bullet buried itself in floor, cracking it, not two inches in front of the madman's feet. "Do it now," Temperance said. When the man still didn't move, Temperance shifted the gun again so it was now aimed at the man's groin. "How far do you want to push me?" she challenged.

The man snarled, and then lunged at Tempe. Although he had at least one hundred pounds and four inches on the anthropologist, he was surprisingly quick on his feet, and Booth watched in horror as his reached Temperance and knocked her to the ground in what seemed like one step. The men fell on top of her, and they then began struggling with one another, trying to gain control of gun, Temperance fighting for survival, and the madman fighting in a blind, murderous rage.

"You're impure!" he shouted. "You're love is unclean, therefore you must be destroyed! You must die for your impurity!" the man shouted again and again.

Booth watched the sequence of events happen in a blur in front of him. He saw Temperance struggling, fighting for her life, as the deranged man did all that he could to kill her. At one point the madman seized the gun and fired a shot that grazed Temperance's leg. Booth saw her blood, but saw the bullet bury itself into the wood of nearby table. Temperance continued to fight as though she hadn't felt the pain.

Finally, it was Temperance who was able to wrap her fingers around the gun, and using all her strength, she heaved the weapon upwards, causing the handle to connect solidly with the man's temple. He fell still unconscious, and Temperance pushed him off her as she laid still for a moment, gasping for breath. Her entire body then began to shake, and she quickly rolled over and retched onto the stained floor. Then, with shaking legs, she pushed herself off the floor and moved to Booth to cut his bindings off.

"Tie him up!" she said, as she crossed the room to Abby. Booth nodded, and began binding the killer so he would be immobile. As he did so, he watched Temperance out of the corner of his eye. She careful untied Abby, whispering softly as she did so that it was okay, that it was over, and the girl shook uncontrollably in response. When Temperance had freed the girl of her bindings, the brunette threw her arms around Temperance and clung to her, sobbing in terror, her body quivering in uncontrolled fear. Temperance looked at Booth and pointed to the cell phone that was lying by the doorway. The battery had fallen out when Temperance dropped it, but it appeared to still be functional.

"Call the police," Temperance said, softly. "We're at the Refuge, the underground garage behind the old visitor's center."

Her words were spoken soothingly, and Booth nodded. Temperance gave him a tight smile, and then hugged Abby closer to her, rocking her gently in the way a mother would rock a crying baby, softly trying to calm her, quietly promising that it was all going to be okay.

* * *

It was still raining when the police arrived. The deranged killer regained consciousness when their sirens could be heard wailing in the distance, and although he struggle, he was unable to break free of the restrains Booth had tied around him. He continued to angrily proclaim that Abby, Temperance, and Booth were impure from where he lay, but his loss of blood had left him weakened, and a quick kick in the groin from Booth silenced him quickly. Booth had called Angela and Hodgins after he called the police, and they arrived at almost the same time. The police burst into the tiny room, guns drawn, and pulled the killer away, reading him his rights as he went. Booth, Temperance, and Abby, who was still hanging onto Tempe, were escorted back to the ground level then, and then were instructed to sit while they waited for the paramedics to arrive.

The rain caused some of the blood that clung to the three to thin and fall away, but the stains remained. A few minutes later, a young boy arrived at the site and ran over to Abby. He was apparently Eric, Abby's boyfriend, and apparently their fight ended when he saw her. He grabbed her and held her tightly in his arms, swearing that he would never let anything else happen to her, telling her that he loved her, and promising that he would take care of her. The police car holding the killer hadn't left yet, and seeing the man in the backseat caused the young boy to lunge toward it. The nearby officers held him back, and he clutched the shaking girl back into his arms, shooting the car a glare that would terrify a battle hardened man.

Hodgins and Angela rushed to Booth and Brennan, who were standing separately, talking to police officers about what had happened. When they had finished this, the first of the ambulances had arrived, and they were taken for preliminary evaluations by paramedics. Morning light was beginning to come, but the steady drizzle continued, coating the ground in warm water. Temperance's leg was bandaged, and she was told that she would be taken to the hospital for further evaluation, but she was allowed to sit for a moment on her own before they did so. Her injuries were not severe; taking her to the hospital was little more than a precaution.

Temperance sank down and sat on a tree stump, watching as the paramedics studied Booth. Angela was at her side a moment later.

Angela just looked at her friend, not speaking. "I almost lost him, Ange," Temperance said quietly, her voice free of obvious emotion.

"Sweetie…" was all Angela said, as she reached her hand out and softly hugged Temperance toward her. The anthropologist relaxed slightly at her touch, and the two sat in silence, watching as the paramedic shone a flashlight into Booth's eyes, and asked him questions in an effort to determine the extent of his injuries.

* * *

Abby, Temperance, and Booth were all shuttled to the hospital a short time later. Abby's injuries mostly consisted of bruises and emotional trauma, the doctors told her parents that it she would be able to leave later that day after they had had time to perform a few more routine tests. Temperance also was told that she would be able to leave soon, and while she was waiting to be discharged, Angela wandered from her side into Booth's room.

Booth gave her a small smile when she walked into the room. "Hey," she said, softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Headache," Booth murmured. "But other than that, okay."

Angela nodded. She careful sat down in the chair beside Booth's bed. "What happened?" she asked.

Booth shook his head. "I don't know. He snuck up behind me somehow, and just…knocked me out. When I woke up I was tied up in that garage. I don't even know how he moved me." Booth shook his head, and Angela continued to sit quietly, listening. "Then I tried to reason with him, and he just…he's insane. He put that gun to my head and I knew it was over."

Angela stared at Booth as he spoke, his voice calm. She wondered for a moment how he was able to talk about it so freely. He shook his head slightly, his eyes showing a slight wince as he did so. "I thought I was going to die," he said.

Angela touched his arm. "But you didn't," she said.

Booth gave her a small, but genuine, smile. "No," he said. "I didn't."

There was a moment of silence where Angela contemplated the appropriateness of her next question. "What was it like, Booth? What did you see when you thought that you were…you know."

Booth leaned back on the bed for a moment, silent. He remembered the images that had flashed through his brain in the garage. Quietly, he replied, "angels. I saw angels."

* * *

Two days later, after Temperance and Booth had been released from the hospital and had had some time to sleep, the group began packing for their trip back home. The paperwork on the case was being sent to their offices, and so they would be able to wrap up the last of the case from there.

Temperance and Booth were in the room they had been sharing, packing their things in silence. Midway through their reorganizing, Booth spoke. "Hey, Bones?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Temperance turned to him, momentarily surprised, before giving him a small smile. "Hey, I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done for me."

Booth smiled. "I do have a question thought. When you saw that he was going to shoot me, and you decided to shoot him first, why did you aim for the gun? Why not his head, or his chest or something? Why did you pick to shoot at what was right beside my head?"

Temperance laughed. "I don't know," she said, honestly. "I guess the gun was just what I was focused on. It was the first thing I saw. I knew what he was going to do, and I knew I had to stop him, and…I guess that's just where my brain thought it was logical to aim."

Booth nodded. "Okay," he said. He stepped a bit closer to her, and took her wrist in his hand. He turned it so that he was looking at her palm, at the hand that had saved his life. Staring at it, he spoke. "I know we've had our problems, Tempe. I know I've yelled at you, and been a jerk, and falsely accused your boyfriend of murder. But you still saved me. You've always saved me." He turned his eyes to meet hers as she stared at him in confusion.

"Booth, that's not true. _You're_ the one who's always saved…"

Booth cut her off when he placed his fingers over her lips, his other hand still holding her wrist. "No. You've always rescued me, in ways that you don't even realize. I didn't even realize it until I thought I was going to die." He dropped his gaze again, removing his hand from her lips and wrapping the fingers around her other wrist. Staring at both of her hands, he continued. "I want you to be happy, Temperance. And if you need to be with someone else to find that happiness…" he paused for a moment, swallowing. "Then I'm willing to let you go."

Temperance stared at him, frozen. His eyes returned to hers, and they stared at one another for a long moment. Then Booth raised her right hand, the hand that had allowed him to live, and kissed the palm. He then released her wrists, smiled sadly, and walked from the room.

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This is the part of the chapter where you tell me what you think. Go ahead, hit the button


	23. Case Closed

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Well, here it is, the last chapter. I just want to say, before you read it, thanks for making my first fanfic so much fun! I'm thinking about doing some more, and I was even thinking about making a sequel to this one. If you think this is a bad idea, or if you think I should be banned from fanfics forever, just let me know. I hope this chapter makes you happy. I think that's all I have to say, sorry for typos. And now, here it is...the last chapter...sniff, aw,I promised myself I wouldn't cry :-) Thanks, guys! Off you go...

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In the next few days after Booth and the squints headed back to D.C., the police worked tirelessly questioning the insane gunman from the coffeehouse and searching his property. It was learned that the man's name was Phil Jamewood. He had been raised in Maryland, but did not seem to have a real permanent residence as an adult. He owned houses, not surprisingly, in all the locations the victims had been taken from. He also owned houses in Pittsburg and New Jersey. When the police searched his small trailer on Chincoteague they were horrified to find shoeboxes filled with pictures of all the victims, along with the pictures of at least three other girls whose remains had not been found. The pictures were cut and bent, some of them destroyed, and it appeared that at some point someone had attempted to destroy the contents of some of the boxes entirely. There were notebooks filled with handwritten love letters, written in a slanted, childlike scrawl, proclaiming undying love and devotion. There were letters to and pictures of Abby as well, and when copies of the photos arrived at Booth's office, he was sickened to see that some of the pictures appeared to have been taken with a cell phone while standing in the coffeehouse. Bones was in the frame in a few of the shots.

Further questioning and investigation brought to light more information on Phil. While searching one of his properties, the authorities found a large clothing box that held bones. They sent them to Temperance for identification, and Temperance noted that they were the remains that went with the two osteoporosis finger bones that she had discovered. It later came to light that the bones were those of Phil's grandmother, the woman who had raised him. Phil finally admitted that he had been sexually victimized as a child by his grandmother, and that that was why he had to kill her; because his love for her was impure.

A psychologist was called in to analyze Phil's mental functioning. It was determined that the years of sexual and psychological abuse he had suffered had caused him to have extremely warped and twisted views on love and relationships. He became obsessed with purity, and his naturally addictive personality only added fuel to the fire. He would meet a potential victim in a restaurant, etc, and would develop an attachment to them. He would then convince himself that they loved him as well, and he would embark on what he called "a quest to save them". He would kidnap his victim, and then, when she expressed natural terror, he would believe it was because she was impure. He would then kill her and rape her, though the order of these two activities was not fixed, and he would take her Chincoteague for burial, as his grandmother had raised him near the area. Vince, it was learned, was merely a victim who got in the way.

Authorities also learned through a series of journals seized from Phil's home his methods for abducting his victims in daylight. He would approach them with an object of some sort, usually money, and insist that they had dropped it. He would then attempt to gain their trust, and would either take them then or would wait and take them later that day. The proximity granted by the gesture of returning something gave him the needed opportunity to touch his victims. Often he would talk to them for a moment after "returning" their money, etc, and then would persuade them to come with him, often by physically overpowering them. The fact that he often would be speaking to his victims near a car gave him a simple method of forcing and transporting them. When this evidence was brought to Booth's attention, he instantly remembered the day in the parking lot with Abby and the man. He had been trying to give the girl a five dollar bill. Booth shook his head in amazement.

Booth and Temperance didn't speak about the day in the hotel room afterward, and when they got back to D.C. their stacks of paperwork kept them from seeing one another. Temperance's thoughts were conflicted, and although Angela questioned her, she pushed her friend away. She didn't know what she wanted, and she wasn't in the mood to hear how perfect Booth was.

The truth was she knew that Booth was perfect. She knew that her relationship with Brian was a superficial one, but somehow she felt safer with this knowledge. If she stayed with Brian, she would have a relationship that would be easy to control. If she had to breakup with Brian for some reason, she knew she would experience little or no pain at the loss of him. With Booth, that wasn't the case. With Booth she had an emotional investment that startled and terrified her. Booth filled her thoughts, invaded her dreams, and made her feel different than any other man ever had.

By the time the next Friday arrived, Tempe had made her choice. She sat at her desk, waiting for her date to come meet her, and she mental reminded herself that this was the right thing. She had examined the evidence, and she knew she had made the right choice. This was logical. Her eyes flicked for a moment at the button that sat on her desk. Booth's button. She turned her eyes away.

Her date arrived in the doorway a few moments later. "Ready to go?" he asked, his face bright.

Temperance smiled at Brian. "Yeah," she answered. "Let's go."

* * *

On that very same Friday night, Booth was sitting at home with his son, laughing at the Flintstones on TV as he played Go Fish and ate animal crackers. Parker squealed in delight as Fred dropped a bowling ball on his foot on the screen, and Booth smiled as he watched the boy. Ever since his near brush with death, he had wanted to spend time with Parker, and after a few days of insisting, Rebecca had relented. She had dropped Parker off at Booth's house earlier that afternoon, and she was coming to pick him up again at 9pm.

The boy laughed again as he grabbed a cracker and stuffed in his mouth. "Go Fish!" the boy squealed.

Booth smiled, drawing a card from the pile. The two continued to play as the noise on the screen continued and the lights from the pictures flashed across the room. Outside, a light drizzle that had begun earlier that day continued to leak from the sky, and Booth glanced at the clock. Parker's mom would be there soon. For a second, Booth's thoughts flicked to Temperance. He hadn't heard from her, and sadly he knew that must mean that she was out with Brian. His heart sank a little, but he pushed the thought away, focusing on his little boy.

A short while later, Booth saw headlights flash in his windows.

"Okay, bud. Mommy's here, time to go." Booth tried to hide the reluctance in his voice as he spoke. Rebecca knocked on the door a moment later.

Booth gathered up his son's things and walked him to the door. He handed the child's book bag to his mother, who gave him a tight but cool smile. He then grabbed the boy quickly, causing him to squeal as his father tickled him slightly. The child wriggled in Booth's arms. Booth then hugged him tightly, and buried his nose in his little boy's hair. "Love you, buddy," Booth said.

"Love you, Daddy," Parker's small voice said. Booth reluctantly put his son down then, and Rebecca took his hand, leading him away. Booth stood in the doorway, watching as his son rode out of sight, and didn't go back in until the car's taillights had disappeared down the street. He then closed the door, and flopped back onto his couch.

The Flintstones had ended, and now the program switched to the Jetsons. Booth didn't even bother to change the channel as he mutely watched. His thought drifted between his little boy and Temperance. He sighed, mental cursing his luck, or karma, or whatever it was that decided his fate. Why, he wondered, did the two people he loved the most in the world have to also be the two people who were kept away from him

Booth froze for a moment. Where had that come from? He didn't _love_ Temperance, he just…he sighed. He knew it was pointless. As he dropped his eyes shut, he allowed his mind to admit it. He loved her. He was in love with Temperance Brennan.

He heard a knocking on his door then, and he realized that Parker had probably forgotten something. With a sigh, he rose from the couch, straightening his sweatpants and tee shirt as he crossed to the door, and pulled it open.

The sight that greeted him made him freeze. Temperance was standing in his doorway, her hair, face, and clothing, soaked with the rain. They both stood for a moment, neither moving. Then Booth saw her shiver slightly as a soft breeze pushed its way through the night. "Hey," she said, quietly.

"Hey," he answered. He regained his senses when she shivered again, and quickly moved to let her in. "Sorry, come in."

She nodded, and lowering her eyes, she walked through the door. He closed it behind her and pushed his hands into his sweatpants pockets. "So…" he said, feeling uncomfortable.

"So," she returned. After a beat of silence, she sighed. "I can't do it, Booth."

He glanced at her strangely. "Do what?"

She reached in her pocket and pulled out his button. "This is yours," she said.

He looked at the button for a moment before his brain registered it significance. "Oh," he softly replied.

Temperance nodded. "It's over, Booth." Booth felt as though his heart were being ripped from his chest. "I dumped him."

Booth's head snapped up. "You…what?"

Temperance still didn't meet his eyes. "I just couldn't do it," she said. "Not after being with…not after know what it's like to…" she shook her head, searching for words. "I just couldn't. And I know that I hurt you, and I know that this isn't right, and I know…"

Temperance's voice was silenced when Booth crossed to her with one step and covered her mouth with his. She responded immediately, kissing him back, and they wrapped their arms around each other. The rain that had seeped through her clothing began to be absorbed by Booth's clothes, and soon the two were standing breathless in Booth's living room, both wet, both clinging to one another.

When they broke for air, Booth looked into Temperance's eyes and the two smiled. "So, do this mean…?" Booth began.

Temperance just smiled at him and pulled his head back toward hers, capturing him with a searing kiss.

After a few minutes of standing in the living room, the kisses became more urgent. Soon Temperance felt Booth leading her to his bedroom, as the kiss continued. When they arrived, they fell back on the mattress, searching one another, clinging to one another. After a few frantic moments of undressing, they soon united moaning and murmuring one another's names, expressing their happiness, until release came and they found peace.

Afterwards, when they lay still on the bed, Booth holding Temperance close to his chest, he heard her speak quietly. "Hey, Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Thank you."

Booth shifted so he could look at her face. "For what?"

"For waiting for me."

Booth looked into her eyes for a moment before bringing his lips to hers and kissing her firmly. She responded, touching his face, as he held her closer. When the kiss ended, Temperance looked into his eyes again.

"And Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?" he said, his eyes closed.

"I love you, too."

Booth opened his eyes quickly and looked at Temperance's face. Her eyes were closed and she nestled against his chest. He felt his heart swell in his chest. She knew. And she felt the same way. He hugged her tightly.

"Night, Temperance."

He felt her smile against his chest.

"Night, Seeley."

* * *

A week later, Temperance and Booth were sitting at a small Italian restaurant in D.C., having dinner with Hodgins, Angela, Zach, and very nice young girl named Anna who Zach had recently started dating. Temperance smiled. When she had arrived back home she had called Meg and apologized profusely for missing her visit. Meg had dismissed the apology, and the two had agreed that Meg would come back to town later in the summer. Meg had then asked about Booth, and Temperance had smiled. Booth, she had answered, was well.

Apparently Meg's instruction on the world of dating had been useful to Zach, though he still seemed slightly nervous around his new girlfriend. The girl, however, didn't seem to notice, and Angela noted the way the two stared at each other. She smiled. It was sweet, innocent. She glanced over at Temperance and Booth to see if they noticed, but almost laughed when she realized they were too busy talking to and smiling at each other to notice Zach's new relationship.

After dinner, Booth and Temperance decided to go for a walk around the city. Angela had smiled at the pair when they said their goodbyes, winking at Temperance as saying "have fun!" as the pair left. Hodgins took Angela's hand and lead her away as well, as Zach and Anna prepared to go to a late movie.

Temperance and Booth walked hand in hand down the street, talking easily and laughing. After a while, Booth paused and pulled Temperance to him. He kissed her passionately, ignoring the fact that they were standing in the middle of the street, and his touch made Temperance forget where they were as well. They kissed, but were then interrupted when Booth's cell phone began impatiently ringing.

Booth broke the kiss and began to speak angrily. "Why?" he demanded. "Why does the universe insist that every time I kiss you a phone has to ring? Why can't I just kiss you in peace?"

Temperance smiled, laughing slightly, and she planted a quick kiss on Booth's cheek. "Just answer the phone."

Booth gave her a boyish smile, and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Booth," he said into the mouthpiece.

Temperance and Booth continued to walk as Booth spoke to the caller. After a few minutes, he hung up and pushed the phone back in his pocket. He then stopped walking, pulled Temperance to him again, and kissed her. "We have a new case, Dr. Brennan," he said when they broke.

Temperance smiled at him, and they began walking again, fingers entwined, as Booth gave her the preliminary details on the case.

FIN.

* * *

Review if you want to, this is the last chapter after all :-)


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